A letter written to my customers at Politico's today...
I am writing to tell you that Politico's is relocating to Kent on 12 March and continuing as an internet/mail order business at www.politicos.co.uk. Our shop in Artillery Row will close on 12 March. Nearly 50% of the bookshop's turnover is now "not over the counter" and comes through website orders and through orders by post and telephone. Politico's will continue to organise book events in Westminster and run the shops at the three party conferences. This has been a difficult decision to make, but we know it is in the best interests of our business. Obviously we would prefer to keep our shop in Westminster but a huge rent rise, the effects on trade of the congestion charge (we estimate this has caused a 12% reduction in retail turnover) and extra national insurance costs, have meant that we have had to consider the best way forward for the longer term. We felt unable to sign a new ten year lease on our Artillery Row shop when faced with such huge increases in our overheads. We have looked at all options including selling the business and moving to smaller premises in London, but we have decided that moving out of London and operating an internet/mail order business is the most sensible way forward. I want to make this clear. We are NOT closing down. We are NOT disappearing from the Westminster scene! We will be holding regular events in Westminster and we intend to continue to run the bookshop at all the party conferences, as well as producing regular new titles catalogues. On a personal note, Politico's Bookstore has been my life, seven days a week, for the last six years and I have enjoyed every minute. I know many of our customers will be sad at our departure from Artillery Row, and I share those feelings. But life moves on and so must we. I know we're doing the right thing both for the business and our customers. I would like to thank all our customers, who have helped make Politico's such a success over the last seven years. I hope that they will all remain customers of our new business Politicos.co.uk. I would also like to place on record my thanks to our bookshop manager Jon Shipley and his assistant Abigail Allen. They will both be leaving the business at the end of the transition and I wish them well.
