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Printing on demand and bookshops' returns policies are two major areas of the industry that need to be addressed to move the trade towards a more sustainable operation, delegates at the Independent Publishers Guild conference heard on Wednesday (21st October).
Kate Stilborn, customer service and operations director at Blackwell's, said the chain is committed to rolling out individual "green" measures across its shops, in addition to those highlighted in the Booksellers Association manifesto. "All of our shops are committed to individual things — from reducing printing to using fewer carrier bags," she said.
Interviewed by Amanda Ridout of Boldwood Books, Stilborn highlighted how, in line with the BA's sustainability manifesto, the chain is committing to regular "green audits", switching to renewable energy sources, using conferences calls and exploring measures to reduce book returns.
Stilborn also emphasised the need to consider the environmental impact of its returns policy. "If we buy more carefully, we can get to a position where we are returning less," she said.
Stilborn addressed the increasing demand for p.o.d. titles, which she said often leaves shops with books of lesser quality and incurs delays in delivery. "The quality sometimes isn't as good, and the speed of supply is also a big factor for us. If [the customer] can't find the book, they go to Amazon, and there generally is a delay, when you're up against [Amazon] who can print their books on demand." She also warned that print-on-demand was not necessarily environmentally sustainable.
Though she acknowledged the current autumn pressure on publishers, Stilborn also said branches were suffering from "slow delivery times" at the moment. "We're ordering from suppliers and want the books in but there are delays and we end up with cancelled [customer] orders that we are taking the hit on."
The BA, Blackwells and the IPG are expected to meet in the coming months to further discuss the issue of returns and p.o.d. economics and sustainability.