Record Year for British Publishing in 2019 (publishersweekly.com)

J.Crew Group announced that it has successfully completed its financial restructuring process and emerged from Chapter 11 well positioned for long-term growth. As part of its financial restructuring, the Company has equitized more than $1.6 billion of secured indebtedness, and Anchorage Capital Group, L.L.C. has become the majority owner of the Company. To support ongoing operations and future growth initiatives, J.Crew Group is capitalized with a $400 million exit term loan due 2027 provided by Anchorage, as well as GSO Capital Partners LP and Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP, among others. In addition, the Company has access to a new $400 million ABL credit facility due 2025 agented by Bank of America, N.A.

The impact the coronavirus can have on physical stores was illustrated by the release of first quarter results by Barnes & Noble Education. For the quarter ended August 1, sales in B&NE’s retail segment dropped 42.2% from the comparable period a year ago, falling to $158.8 million. In the period, comparable store sales fell 42.8%, which B&NE said accounted for $106.6 million in lost revenue. B&NE operated 772 physical outlets in the quarter and 670 virtual stores. The company noted that since the majority of its campus stores were closed during the quarter, sales of digital textbooks increased, as did online sales of general merchandise, which includes clothing and food.

Hearst Magazines announced the launch of Premium Print, a strategic initiative that includes a multimillion-dollar investment across its portfolio of more than 25 brands to further strengthen its position in the marketplace and enhance the quality of its print products. The announcement was made by Hearst Magazines Acting President Debi Chirichella and Hearst Magazines Chief Content Officer Kate Lewis. “Our magazines are at the heart of our brands and our business, the foundation of our editorial mission and vision,” Chirichella said. “For the benefit of our audiences and our marketing partners, we’re focused on producing the highest quality print products and providing an outstanding content experience that is engaging on every level.” The additional investment will improve the product of several Hearst Magazines print properties through new, larger formats, higher-quality paper and improved editorial ratios.