BOOK publisher Bloomsbury offered a mixed view on trading amid higher UK book returns and a “cooling” in the German market.
The group, which publishes JK Rowling’s Harry Potter adventures, said retailers in the UK were sending back more unsold books than expected.
Its domestic UK operation and US business performed in line with expectations since the start of the year – but in Germany, some titles struggled to reach sales targets.
The publisher said it hoped for a boost in the second half of the year from a stronger programme of releases from major authors.
Annual pre-tax profits fell to £11.6m for the year to December 31 from £17.9m a year earlier. Sales fell to £99.9m from £150.2m.
