Eason & Son (or
Eason's as it is more commonly known) is a group
involved in the wholesale, distribution and retail of newspapers,
magazines, books, stationery and cards in Ireland
.
The chain of 34 retail and 16 franchised Eason stores exist
throughout the island of Ireland.
The company is headquartered in Dublin
(with the
Northern Ireland division headquartered in Belfast) and employs
over 1,800 staff. The company, which is privately owned, had
a profit of €9.7m in 2003 on a turnover of €372m. Recently, the
company has moved into franchising, with a number of new retail
units operating independently under the Eason banner. Most of these
are located in shopping centres or smaller towns which do not
already have an existing Eason shop. Basil McAllister is Managing
Director. Michael Ryder is Chairman.
List of divisions, ownership of other companies and
acquisitions
- Eason Retail Division - headquartered in an integrated book and
stationery warehouse in St Margaret's, Swords, County Dublin since
mid-2007.
- Eason Wholesale Stationery Division, previously based in
Crumlin, Dublin 12 but now moved to St Margaret's, distributes
Stationery and associated products to retail outlets throughout
Ireland. Eason is the official distributor in Ireland for Club
Stationery.
- Eason Wholesale Book Division - also moved to St Margaret's,
north County Dublin. This division sells books in bulk to many
shops.
- Eason's Advertising Services Limited - a niche advertising
agency, one of the oldest agencies in the country and a
wholly-owned subsidiary ([792650]). Located in Dublin 1. [792651]. Sole Irish affiliate of The ComVort
Group and the Bernard Hodes Global Network.
- Reads - These stores, acquired in 2005, are primarily discount
stores selling stationery, books and greetings cards. The two
original Reads stores were on Nassau Street in Dublin 2, and a
branch on Patrick street in Cork city (now closed). A former Eason
store on Botanic Avenue in Belfast was converted to become a Reads
outlet in 2006 (this closed in Mar 2008). The Reads store in Nassau
Street has recently (Feb 08) expanded into the premises next door
(formerly Blarney Woollen Mills), to create a new discount book
store alongside its existing premises. The former Fred Hannas
bookshop at the corner of Nassau Street and Dawson Street was also
acquired by the company in 1999 but closed in early 2008, and
merged with the Reads branch nearby.
- N.P.O. UK Ltd. (now all rebranded Eason) - These stores are
operated under Eason and Son (N.I.) Ltd. and specialise in
stationery.
- Eason Electronic - two South African Companies selling phone
top-ups and pre-paid electricity cards.
- British Bookshops & Sussex Stationers outlets in south-east
England - 52 retail book outlets. Now reduced to 39. In May 2009,
Eason sold this company to Endless PLC. Endless intend to keep the
"British Bookshops" name.
- Eason and Son (N.I.) Ltd - This division operates the chain of
15 stores in Northern Ireland (Including the ex-NPO stores). N.B.
Eason & Son Ltd. owns two companies with this name - one
registered in Northern Ireland and one registered in the Republic
of Ireland.
- Eason News Distribution Division (now merged into the EM News)
- was based in Dublin and outside Cork City Newsbrothers. Newsbrothers , a subsidiary
company of Eason, was responsible for newspaper and magazine
distribution in the Munster region.
See also
References
External links
Eason & Son: A History by L M Cullen. (438pp,
16 plates Dublin 1989.)
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