Haynes abandons motoring books to focus on manuals

| 27 Sep 2013

Haynes Publishing Group has announced that it is to axe its motoring books and close its Sparkford distribution site.

The company said it is going to focus "on the areas with the largest growth potential – DIY manuals; information systems for use by professional mechanics; and the expansion of its digital offering, including the development of additional digital platforms."

It added that the motoring book department is actually "merging" with the non-motoring book division, but that no more motoring titles except manuals will be published.

The effective closure of the motoring book division, which has been responsible for hundreds of classic-related titles, in particular will hit enthusiasts hard.

Some redundancies are expected and the move follows the huge success of Haynes' more leftfield manuals that kicked off with guides to men and raising babies and has since expanded into all manner of different areas including aircraft and spaceflight. One of the latest releases is a Zombie Survival Manual.

J Haynes said: “The review has enabled us to focus on the core strengths of the business and we are confident that we now have the right strategy in  place to return the business to growth. This involves returning to our grass roots, while adapting to modern needs by enhancing our digital capabilities and expanding our presence in the professional market through HaynesPro.  Regrettably we will need to reduce UK staffing levels in this process but we need to focus our business on our strongest performing areas to drive growth. We will of course offer all the support we can to those who will need to find new positions.”