Dymocks

The first Dymocks bookstore was opened in Sydney by William Dymock in 1879, in Market Street. As his business grew over the years, he moved to larger premises at 428 George Street, traded as Dymock's Book Arcade, and eventually had a million books in stock.{{Cite web |last=Power |first=Julie |date=25 October 2022 |title=Dymocks and 'The Block': Behind the scenes at Sydney's first shopping centre |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/dymocks-and-the-block-behind-the-scenes-at-sydney-s-first-shopping-centre-20221007-p5bo1w.html |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} As he had died childless and unmarried, the business passed to his sister, Marjory, who was married to John Forsyth. Since then, the Forsyth family has managed Dymocks. In 1922, the Dymock family purchased the site of the old Royal Hotel in George Street, and built the historic, Art Deco landmark Dymocks building, completed in 1930. In 1986 the bookstore chain was established as a franchise chain, and has since opened stores in every mainland Australian state, and also internationally in New Zealand and Singapore.{{cite news

| author = Teo Pau Lin

| title = Shopping down under

| work = The Straits Times

| date = 3 July 2000

| quote = With CityLink Mall connecting the Raffles City and Marina Centre areas, pedestrians can pick up a coffee or a couple of CDs on the go easily ... ANCHOR TENANTS: HMV music store, Dymocks Books and Pacific Coffee Company }}

In addition to stocking music CDs, DVDs and other related items, Dymocks now has an online store launched in late 2006 in response to the increasing penetration into the Australian book market of online retailers such as Amazon.{{cite news |date=24 November 2006 |title=Dymocks responds to Amazon |page=3 |publisher=Adbrief |quote=Australia's Dymocks Booksellers has revamped its online store to be more competitive with US rival, Amazon.com.}}

Dymocks has a comprehensive multi-channel strategy including an international retail network of approximately 65 stores in Australia: an online website, loyalty program, regular catalogues and social media. Dymocks also runs an Australia-wide program, Dymocks Children's Charities (DCC), providing books to pre-primary and primary school age children.{{Cite web |date= |title=DCC {{!}} About Us |url=http://dcc.gofundraise.com.au/cms/aboutus |access-date=22 January 2017 |website=dcc.gofundraise.com.au}}{{Cite news |last=Kempton |first=Helen |date=14 December 2016 |title=Bid to boost bookworm numbers |publisher=Mercury |url=http://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/welcome-boost-for-east-devonport-primary-thanks-to-dymocks-childrens-charities-library-regeneration-program/news-story/a103f5224f318cb1fffbc2c6d73f20cf |access-date=22 January 2017}}

Dymocks is the largest bookseller in Australia and currently holds close to 20% of the Australian book market.

In October 2011, Dymocks launched D Publishing, a self-publishing platform which allowed authors to print, publish and distribute their own books and ebooks.{{Cite web |last=Brett |first=Lorna |date=5 September 2011 |title=Dymocks launches web-based publishing service |url=https://dynamicbusiness.com/topics/news/dymocks-launches-web-based-publishing-service-592011.html |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=Dynamic Business |language=en-AU}} The venture was shut down in March 2013.{{Cite web |last=Mem: 10256080 |date=4 March 2013 |title=Dymocks to close D Publishing this month |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2013/03/04/26471/dymocks-to-close-d-publishing-this-month/ |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Belinda |date=14 July 2013 |title=Dymocks: out of the ashes |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/dymocks-out-of-the-ashes-20130710-2pp9b.html |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

In September 2023, personal information of 1.24 million Dymocks customers were shared on the dark web after a cybersecurity breach.{{Cite news |last=Riga |first=Jessica |date=15 September 2023 |title=Dymocks confirms details of 1.2 million customers shared on dark web |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-15/dymocks-confirms-1-million-customers-details-leaked/102863820 |access-date=17 September 2023}}

The last Dymocks store in New Zealand closed down in September 2012 as they chose to exit that market.{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Jazial |date=10 September 2012 |title=Dymocks bookstores exit NZ |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7652424/Dymocks-bookstores-exit-NZ |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en}}

File:Dym IFC.JPG, Hong Kong]]

In 1999, Dymocks Booksellers entered into a joint venture with South China Morning Post (Holdings) to set up Dymocks Franchise Systems (China), in order to expand the Dymocks chain into Hong Kong.{{cite news |last=Tsang |first=Denise |date=1 September 1999 |title=Dymocks, SCMP forge mainland venture |work=South China Morning Post |url=https://www.scmp.com/article/292349/dymocks-scmp-forge-mainland-venture |access-date=17 September 2023}} The first store with the Dymocks brand opened at the Star Ferry concourse in Central in 1999. Three Dymocks stores closed in 2012 in Hong Kong when their rental contracts expired.{{cite news |last= Woodhouse|first=Alice |date= 11 January 2015|title= Bookseller Dymocks to close flagship IFC Mall store and Hong Kong office|url= http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1678380/bookseller-dymocks-close-flagship-ifc-mall-store-and-hong-kong-office|newspaper=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong |accessdate=11 January 2015 }}

It was announced in January 2015 that Dymocks would close its flagship IFC Mall store on 25 January, and that it would subsequently close its Hong Kong office. After the closure of the IFC Mall store, the number of Dymocks stores in Hong Kong would be brought down to five. The remaining stores operated independently using the Dymocks name before being rebranded individually.

Each year Dymocks invites its booksellers to nominate "their favourite title that was published within the last year" and a single title is chosen as "Dymocks Book of the Year".{{cite web |title=Dymocks Book of the Year 2024 Winner |url=https://www.dymocks.com.au/awards/dymocks-book-of-the-year |website=www.dymocks.com.au |access-date=21 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227223045/https://www.dymocks.com.au/awards/dymocks-book-of-the-year |archive-date=27 February 2025 |quote=their favourite title that was published within the last year}} A separate "Young Readers' Book of the Year" was also chosen in 2022 and 2023.

Dymocks has a loyalty program called 'Dymocks Booklover Rewards', originally launched in 2001, and relaunched in 2006.{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/change-in-sales-strategy-clicks-for-dymocks-20140909-10egro.html|title=Change in sales strategy clicks for Dymocks|last=Mitchell|first=Sue|date=9 September 2014|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=22 January 2017}}

Dymocks Properties is the real estate arm of Dymocks. Its portfolio includes commercial buildings, farms and land.{{Cite web |last=Johanson |first=Simon |date=13 October 2014 |title=Dymocks hunts for more property |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/dymocks-hunts-for-more-property-20141013-115f3g.html |access-date=19 September 2023 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

In 2009, Dymocks acquired an 80% equity stake in the Australian owned and operated Healthy Habits sandwich bar franchise for an undisclosed sum.{{cite news |last=Masters |first=Clare |date=1 August 2007 |title=Carr turns new page in career |page=8 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{Cite web |last=Steffens |first=Miriam |date=7 January 2012 |title=New chapter in story of changing fortunes |url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/new-chapter-in-story-of-changing-fortunes-20120106-1po19.html |access-date=22 January 2017 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}} Healthy Habits was sold by Dymocks in June 2016 to Franchised Food Co.{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Sue |date=1 June 2016 |title=Dymocks looks to retail deals after selling Healthy Habits |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/dymocks-looks-to-retail-deals-after-selling-healthy-habits-20160601-gp8sum.html |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

In 2010, Dymocks acquired Victorian confectionery manufacturer Patons Macadamia. The company's products were sold in Dymocks stores.{{Cite web |last=Steffens |first=Miriam |date=6 January 2012 |title=New chapter in story of changing fortunes |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/new-chapter-in-story-of-changing-fortunes-20120106-1po19.html |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} In 2015, Patons acquired Gourmet Nut Company. Dymocks sold Patons in 2020 to focus on its other businesses.{{Cite web |last=Blake |first=Dean |date=5 November 2020 |title=Dymocks Group sells off confectionery arm to focus on core business |url=https://insideretail.com.au/sectors/dymocks-group-sells-off-confectionary-arm-to-focus-on-retail-farming-and-education-202011 |access-date=17 September 2023 |website=Inside Retail Australia |language=en-US}}

In 2015, Dymocks Holdings acquired Telegram Paper Goods.{{Cite web |title=Telegram Paper Goods by DYMOCKS HOLDINGS PTY LTD – 1241395 |url=http://www.ipaustralia.com.au/applicant/good-karma-corporation-pty-ltd/trademarks/1241395/ |access-date=30 January 2016 |website=ipaustralia.com.au}} Founded in 2008, Telegram Paper Goods distributes designer stationery brands across Australia and New Zealand.{{Cite web |title=About Telegram Designer Stationery Suppliers – Telegram Paper Goods |url=http://www.telegrampapergoods.com/page/about |access-date=30 January 2016 |website=telegrampapergoods.com}} Telegram is best known for its stationery store, Milligram (formerly Notemaker.com.au), that sells eclectic and designer stationery, cards, wrap, diaries, journals, and fine writing instruments.{{Cite web |title=Milligram – Australia's Leading Online Stationery Shop |url=https://milligram.com |access-date=30 January 2016 |website=milligram.com}} Telegram acquired homeware and body care brand Addition Studio in February 2023.{{Cite web |last=Pattabiraman |first=Rakshnna |date=7 February 2023 |title=Lifestyle brand Addition Studio acquired by Telegram Co |url=https://internetretailing.com.au/lifestyle-brand-addition-studio-acquired-by-telegram-co/ |access-date=19 September 2023 |website=Internet Retailing |language=en-US}}

In 2018, Dymocks launched an education and tutoring business called Potentia.{{Cite web |last=Powell |first=Dominic |date=1 October 2018 |title=Dymocks launches new education venture Potentia: Why the bookseller is making it “as difficult as possible” for new market entrants |url=https://www.smartcompany.com.au/industries/arts-media/bookseller-dymocks-launches-new-education-venture-potentia/ |access-date=19 September 2023 |website=SmartCompany |language=en-AU}} The business was rebranded Dymocks Tutoring in 2020.

{{portal|Australia|Books|Companies}}

• List of oldest companies in Australia

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Dymocks Booksellers}}

• [http://www.dymocks.com.au/ Dymocks Booksellers main Australian page]
• [https://www.dymocks.com.au/about Dymocks history]
• [https://www.dymocks.group/ Dymocks Group website]

{{Bookstore Chains}}

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Category:Australian companies established in 1879

Category:Book publishing companies of Australia

Category:Bookshops of Australia

Category:Bookshops of Hong Kong

Category:Retail companies established in 1879