Thin’s name to disappear as 12 stores sold

THE name James Thin - for more than 150 years renowned as Edinburgh’s foremost bookseller - will disappear after the last remnants of the financially struggling company were today bought by publishing and bookselling giant Blackwell’s.

In a £2 million-plus deal which secures the jobs of more than 100 staff, Blackwell’s is buying all 12 of James Thin’s academic bookstores, including its flagship South Bridge shop

And Blackwell’s said it will spend £1.5m on a massive refit of the South Bridge store, aiming to make it the premier academic bookstore in the country.

Today’s news follows last month’s purchase of James Thin’s general bookstores by rival chain Ottakar’s and means the historic brandname will be phased out over coming months.

The company went into administration in January, after seeing sales plummet by more than £10m over the last four years as it came under intense competition from bigger stores and the internet.