BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – In smaller bookstores, customers will soon have to wait longer for books they have ordered – at least if they are supplied by the wholesaler Zeitfracht. “Zeitfracht Medien will stop overnight delivery from February 1st for customers who have a particularly low annual purchase volume,” said managing director Wolfram Simon-Schröter to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Thursday). Zeitfracht Medien, headquartered in Erfurt, claims to be the market leader in German book wholesalers.
The wholesaler only wants to visit smaller bookstores twice a week. This affects retailers who purchase goods worth less than 30,000 euros per year. Simon-Schröter justified the move with increased costs for personnel, energy, materials and transport. According to the report, Zeitfracht’s customers in German-speaking countries include 5,550 bookstores and other shops that sell books. Around one in ten customers is affected by the canceled overnight delivery./jcf/DP/stk