Booksellers NZ is today assuring the public that the Whitcoulls' group voluntary administration will not affect Booksellers' tokens.

Booksellers NZ Book Tokens are redeemable at all 350 member bookshops nationwide, including Whitcoulls, Borders and Bennetts, says Booksellers chairman Hamish Wright.

Whitcoulls on Devonport Road.

'REDGroup Retail have their own gift vouchers, but the Booksellers NZ Tokens are not being affected by REDGroup's difficulties as they are guaranteed by Booksellers NZ.”

REDGroup Retail has gone into voluntary administration. The group operates 79 bookshops in New Zealand under the brands of Whitcoulls, Borders and Bennetts.

There are two Whitcoulls outlets in Tauranga; on Devonport Road, and at Bayfair.

There are 350 bookshop members of Booksellers NZ, made up of groups and independently owned stores.

The issue for REDGroup Retail appears to relate to their specific funding structure, says Hamish.

'Booksellers NZ is concerned at the announcement that REDGroup Retail has gone into voluntary administration, but is confident this action does not reflect a fundamental problem with the book industry in New Zealand,” says Hamish.

'We are very hopeful that the administration process will allow REDGroup Retail to restructure its financial position in order to strengthen successful stores and create better support systems within the group. Our hope is that all stores belonging to the group will remain open in the long term.”

New Zealand has a high density of bookshops to population, one bookshop to every 12,587 people, which provides a very comprehensive service to book lovers, which is also supported by a strong publishing sector, says Hamish.

'We are confident that the challenges facing REDGroup Retail will be met and that the industry as a whole will continue to serve readers of New Zealand as well as ever.”

REDGroup Retail woes are not related to the growing use of e-readers and e-books, says Hamish. The group has led the way in New Zealand with digitisation and he doesn't see the new formats as being causing REDGroup's problems.

Booksellers NZ also do not see any detrimental effect to next month's massive $20 million book promotion being staged as part of New Zealand Book Month, says Booksellers chief executive Lincoln Gould.

The industry-wide promotion, New Zealand Book Month, takes place in March, and will see an unprecedented partnership between New Zealand publishers and booksellers. During the month four million $5 Book Vouchers will be distributed nationwide.

'New Zealand Book Month promotion is a bid to get both booklovers and lapsed readers, off the couch and in to their local bookshop to buy a book.” says Lincoln.