A Leicester book retailer has been shortlisted for a national award for the first time in its 17-year history, going up against heavy-hitters like Waterstones and W H Smith.
Books2Door, which has its base in Leicester’s Vulcan Business Complex, has been shortlisted in two categories in the British Book Awards, which is hosted by The Bookseller.
It has been shortlisted for Book Retailer of the Year, alongside companies like Waterstones, Blackwell’s and W H Smith, and also Children’s Bookseller of the Year.
According to information written on its nomination profile, the value-led children’s retailer had a best-ever year, “doubling sales from pre-Covid levels as it embraced lockdowns and met the heavy demand for home learning resources”.
“Heavy investment in digital advertising and social media has substantially increased awareness of the brand among parents, and sales of home learning resources and discounted book sets were particularly good for the firm in 2021”.
Reacting to the news, Abdul Thadha, managing director of the company, which has been running since 2004, said that to be shortlisted for two awards in such illustrious company is “unimaginable”.
“When I cast my mind back to how I started this business 18 years ago single handedly with a second hand law text book I never imagined a simple lad from Leicester would be recognised one day by the book selling industry, regardless of the outcome I feel we have won as a team”, he added. “This is the fruit of 18 years hard Labour for us all.
“In the last couple of years our business has seen much change largely due to the Pandemic which has changed the landscape of online book retail”, he continued.
“This change is something that has been a benefit to our customers as making books accessible by being affordable became important to everyone due to the economic instability of the time. There has been a rediscovery of many traditions including parents renewed love for reading and passing this on to their children as reading returned to its home among families.”
On its website, Books2Door is described as a company which offers “exceptional books at affordable prices”.
The British Book awards ceremony takes place on May 23.
For more information about Books2Door, visit: https://www.books2door.com/
