I'm hearing from various sources this company has folded - and worse, I've heard that it's not paid suppliers or authors... although that is obviously hearsay...
By all accounts this company expanded in expensive parts of towns and cities, at a time when Amazon was obviously going to take out a large chunk of the book market.

certainly the two shops near me closed several weeks ago & there was a thread on a FB group by some supplier who hadn't been paid (apparently)

Happening to all bookshops now sadly. I used to shop in their San Pedro shop in the 90's and it was about the only place to get English books then. They also used to supply all the British schools in Spain.

When companies go bust suppliers don't get paid, nothing fraudulent that's the way it is.

Good summary!

Interesting piece on the Madrid branch here http://www.bookstoreguide.org/2008/0...ld-madrid.html
It did seem extravagant to me at the time (I'm not boasting of my opinion, plenty of others felt the same). It opened in calle Goya, a rich part of town, when Madrid was already served by academic stores like Booksellers, and social English bookstores like J&Js. Plus, everyone was aware that Amazon were getting bigger and bigger... I suppose Bookworld should either have sold top quality coffee+cakes or had a better internet experience than Amazon (easier said than done).

I think the shops were run on a franchise basis and so the stock/quality of service varied accordingly.

The shop in Torrevieja Habaneras closed a while ago.

Best option for secondhand books in the Torrevieja area is the Alzheimers Charity shop (just behind the main church) at 3 for 1 euro - good clean books and a wide choice.

So far as I'm aware, Bookworld did not sell second hand books. I'm sure your info is useful for book seekers though.

Interesting that some of the shops may have been a franchise. Typical expat scheme to prop up failing businesses. Seen it happen on the CDS and in Florida. One Brit in Florida set up a Brit themed restaurant (as you do!!). Looked good re. décor etc. After a few years he started selling franchises and a few fell for it. needless to say they all went bust, including the original seller.

There was also an estate agent/property management co. in Calahonda CDS. I knew he was already having problems as many were complaining he had not paid over money took for renting out peoples houses. Next thing he was selling franchises for around 8000 euro Some actually bought them too, closed within a year

As a lover of books, I'm saddened when book shops close, but the Spanish franchise was always on dodgy ground when the recession started six years ago. And Amazon has closed many bookshops and publishing houses, with Kindle putting the final nail in the coffin.

I've personally struggled with e-readers for years, I just can't get used to them, I must have a dozen lying around indoors.

But there is a silver lining . . . I can walk to three separate charity shops full of thousands of second-hand books for sale at five for a Euro. I've found some real gems and read a lot.

I got yet another five yesterday. While watching out of the corner of my eye I saw a lookie-lookie Moroccan searching a basket which seemed to be full of second-hand knickers at five pairs for four euros. Somehow the idea put me off the breakfast I had afterwards.

I always found their shops to be painfully expensive and pricing books way above the retail price is never going to be a winner, whether Amazon exists or not. I am sorry for the people who have lost their jobs but the business model was flawed from the start.

It wasnt a franchise, was a business established over 20 years ago by one owner who expanded when things were good and then infortunately didnt see the recession and the kindle coming. It is a shame for the local authors that have nt been paid and supplier etc, but it is also sad to see a long established bisiness fold so quickly.

Yes, it is a shame that local authors and suppliers have lost out. Also the staff and yes, I'm sorry for the owner Mr Ross who obviously has put many years into the business. But was he the only person in the last 15 years unaware of the expansion of Amazon?

you´re right, maybe he should have seen it coming. but not many people saw the credit crunch coming and that was the killer, it happened so quick especially here in Spain it knocked a lot of us off our feet didnt it. You are right to include the staff also, horrible to lose your job.

I don't think it can be said that it was a flawed business from the start seeing as it was operating successfully since the early 90's. The massive expansion at the wrong time was the mistake.

The lack of a strategy to fight against the online threat, particularly Amazon and the ebook readers, was the mistake.
Not that they were alone in this, bookshops everywhere have been under immense pressure.

Does anybody know if they are still running the school book fair side of the business. If so how can I contact them?