| Dymocks Booksellers | |
| Type: | Private |
| Foundation: | 1879 |
| Founder: | William Dymock |
| Location: | Sydney |
| Area Served: | Australia |
| Industry: | Retailing |
| Products: | Books, DVDs and ebooks |
Dymocks Booksellers is an Australian-founded privately owned bookstore chain, that also specialise in CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, e-books and related merchandising. As of June 2022, the chain has about 50 stores in Australia.[1]
The first Dymocks bookstore was opened in Sydney by William Dymock in 1879, in Market Street. As his business grew over the years, he moved to larger premises at 428 George Street, traded as Dymock's Book Arcade, and eventually had a million books in stock.[2] As he had died childless and unmarried, the business passed to his sister, Marjory, who was married to John Forsyth. Since then, the Forsyth family has managed Dymocks. In 1922, the Dymock family purchased the site of the old Royal Hotel in George Street, and built the historic, Art Deco landmark Dymocks building, completed in 1930. In 1986 the bookstore chain was established as a franchise chain, and has since opened stores in every mainland Australian state, and also internationally in New Zealand and Singapore.[3]
In addition to stocking music CDs, DVDs and other related items, Dymocks now has an online store launched in late 2006 in response to the increasing penetration into the Australian book market of online retailers such as Amazon.[4]
Dymocks has a comprehensive multi-channel strategy including an international retail network of approximately 65 stores in Australia: an online website, loyalty program, regular catalogues and social media. Dymocks also runs an Australia-wide program, Dymocks Children's Charities (DCC), providing books to pre-primary and primary school age children.[5] [6]
Dymocks is the largest bookseller in Australia and currently holds close to 20% of the Australian book market.
In October 2011, Dymocks launched D Publishing, a self-publishing platform which allowed authors to print, publish and distribute their own books and ebooks.[7] The venture was shut down in March 2013.[8] [9]
In September 2023, personal information of 1.24 million Dymocks customers were shared on the dark web after a cybersecurity breach.[10]
The last Dymocks store in New Zealand closed down in September 2012 as they chose to exit that market.[11]
In 1999, Dymocks Booksellers entered into a joint venture with South China Morning Post (Holdings) to set up Dymocks Franchise Systems (China), in order to expand the Dymocks chain into Hong Kong.[12] The first store with the Dymocks brand opened at the Star Ferry concourse in Central in 1999. Three Dymocks stores closed in 2012 in Hong Kong when their rental contracts expired.[13]
It was announced in January 2015 that Dymocks would close its flagship IFC Mall store on 25 January, and that it would subsequently close its Hong Kong office. After the closure of the IFC Mall store, the number of Dymocks stores in Hong Kong would be brought down to five. The remaining stores operated independently using the Dymocks name before being rebranded individually.[13]
Dymocks has a loyalty program called 'Dymocks Booklover Rewards', originally launched in 2001, and relaunched in 2006.[14]
Dymocks Properties is the real estate arm of Dymocks. Its portfolio includes commercial buildings, farms and land.[15]
In 2009, Dymocks acquired an 80% equity stake in the Australian owned and operated Healthy Habits sandwich bar franchise for an undisclosed sum.[16] [17] Healthy Habits was sold by Dymocks in June 2016 to Franchised Food Co.[18]
In 2010, Dymocks acquired Victorian confectionery manufacturer Patons Macadamia. The company's products were sold in Dymocks stores.[19] In 2015, Patons acquired Gourmet Nut Company. Dymocks sold Patons in 2020 to focus on its other businesses.[20]
In 2015, Dymocks Holdings acquired Telegram Paper Goods.[21] Founded in 2008, Telegram Paper Goods distributes designer stationery brands across Australia and New Zealand.[22] Telegram is best known for its stationery store, Milligram (formerly Notemaker.com.au), that sells eclectic and designer stationery, cards, wrap, diaries, journals, and fine writing instruments.[23] Telegram acquired homeware and body care brand Addition Studio in February 2023.[24]
In 2018, Dymocks launched an education and tutoring business called Potentia.[25] The business was rebranded Dymocks Tutoring in 2020.