USPS Announces Recommended Mailing and Shipping Dates for 2024 Holiday Season

Increases in sales of e-books and digital audiobooks and higher online sales helped to cushion the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic at Penguin Random House, parent company Bertelsmann reported this morning. Total revenue in the first half of 2020 fell 1.4% at PRH from the comparable period a year ago, dropping to €1.63 billion. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) fell 7.9%, to €209 million. In April, Bertelsmann also acquired the remaining 25% stake in PRH that had been held by Pearson. The U.S. had the best performance among PRH’s international companies, with sales rising 5.2%, to €990 million. “The coronavirus pandemic had a negative impact on the company’s businesses due to the extensive closures of local bookstores,” Bertelsmann reported. “In contrast, the US business demonstrated particular resilience, partially offsetting reductions in other countries.”

Richard A. Hayne, Chief Executive Officer of Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced the following changes to the Company’s management structure to better support URBN’s future growth and strategic initiatives. *Meg Hayne has been promoted to Co-President and will remain Chief Creative Officer. Meg will continue to manage the creative functions she currently oversees. In addition, our three large Brands and Sourcing will now report to Meg. *Frank Conforti has been promoted to Co-President and Chief Operating Officer. Frank will assume additional responsibility for URBN’s Fulfillment & Logistics, Development, Legal, Talent and Human Resources Departments. Frank will continue to operate as Chief Financial Officer while the Company begins a search for his successor. *Sheila Harrington has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the Free People Group. *Hillary Super has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, Anthropologie Group. click read more below for additional detail

The Hachette Book Group announced Thursday that it is "terminating" the Weinstein Books imprint, effective immediately. The decision follows a New York Times report exposing decades of sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, his subsequent removal by the board of the company he co-founded, and scores of celebrities speaking out against him to the press. HBG took over the imprint with its purchase of the Perseus Books Group, which had struck a co-publishing deal with the Weinstein Company in late 2009, through which Weinstein Books had published about 10 titles a year. In its statement, HBG said titles under the imprint will be now published by the Hachette Books imprint, and all Weinstein Books employees will join the Hachette Books team. Click Read More below for additional information.