Time Out Guides to continue under Crimson Publishing

Time Out Guides is to recommence operations under the management of Bath-based independent press Crimson Publishing.

Earlier this year, The Bookseller reported that the Time Out travel guides were to cease publication “as part of the continued evolution" of the Time Out business, which saw the company make 40 redundacies - 10% of its global workforce of 400- in order to refocus as a "global multimedia business". The announcement also coincided with a steady decline of sales of the guides.

However, under the terms of a recently signed agreement with Time Out Group, the guides will now continue after Crimson Publishing acquired the publishing license for the books.

It will begin publishing new titles from Spring 2017. In the meantime, the publication and distribution of the previously produced range of Time Out Guides will be handled by Crimson, commencing 1st September 2016 via Grantham Book Services.

Noel Penzer, c.e.o. of Time Out Digital, said: “We are delighted to partner with Crimson for our book publishing programme. This partnership ensures our brand’s visibility and presence in travellers’ bookshelves while at the same time it allows us to focus on Time Out’s continued transformation from a traditional media company to a global multi-media business. As soon as we started discussing the way forward with Crimson, it became clear that there was an exciting future for our Time Out Guides."

Managing director of Crimson, Andy Riddle, said: “...We will offer a great collection of city guides, covering an exciting range of destinations that will sit neatly alongside Time Out’s websites, apps and magazines. We will start sharing more detailed plans with retail customers over the coming weeks.”

In 2015, Time Out travel guides sold just under £696,000 through the tills, according to Nielsen BookScan. Its sales have been declining since 2006, when it had its best-ever BookScan year of £3.2m. Its various guides to London (London for Londoners, Time Out Guide to London, London Eating & Drinking Guide, Things to do in London, London Guide for Children) have been its bestsellers, combining to sell 79,000 units since records began. The last time the Timeout travel guides sold more than £100,000 through the Total Consumer Market was in 2011, when it sold £133,872 in value.