Just in time for the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the bookseller Thalia and Elanders Print & Packaging Solutions have announced a new long-term collaboration. The focus is the operation of a state-of-the-art digital printing centre in the new Thalia Omni-Channel Hub, a production and logistics site in the gate.ruhr industrial estate in Marl. This lays the foundation for a forward-looking model of book production.
Sven Burkhard, President of Elanders Print & Packaging Solutions, explains: “The collaboration pursues a clear goal: publishers will in future be offered an economically attractive and at the same time flexible production solution that simplifies the entire manufacturing and distribution process. We are very much looking forward to the partnership with Thalia. The past months have shown that the experience and values of both companies complement one another perfectly. After an intensive period of joint concept development, it’s fair to say that a genuine partnership has already taken shape.”
Ingo Kretzschmar, CEO of Thalia, emphasises: “Combining the strengths of both partners enables us to establish a high-performance print-on-demand model that will shape the market in the long term and set new standards in efficiency, flexibility and process optimisation. Together, through the establishment and operation of the digital printing centre, we aim to optimise the book supply chain, support publishers, and make an even greater variety of titles available to readers in the shortest possible time.”
The digital printing centre in Marl is intended to become a central component of the omni-channel hub, linking print-on-demand with logistics. Thanks to this unique one-stop solution, books reach shelves and homes faster and more directly — without detours or delays.
Technological excellence meets commercial strength
Thalia has grown rapidly in recent years through the development of its omni-channel model to reach a turnover of €2.2 billion and is now a leader in the German-language book trade. Elanders Print & Packaging Solutions, as part of the publicly listed Elanders Group with a turnover of €1.4 billion and more than 7,000 employees, has established itself as a pioneer in the field of customisation and as market leader in user manuals.
Sven Burkhard: “We have already demonstrated in the automotive sector how processes can be radically simplified through integrated solutions. We are now transferring this expertise to the publishing world. We aim to address our customers’ challenges directly and help publishers achieve their goals in the long term, creating real added value in the process.”
While Thalia brings its strengths in retail and distribution together with its close contacts and relationships with publishers, the project benefits from Elanders’ long-standing experience in establishing and operating complex printing centres, in professional digital printing and in large-scale transformation processes. The company is regarded as a market leader in sophisticated print solutions and has a global network of diverse locations.
Sven Burkhard predicts: “Thalia stands for market access and sales strength; Elanders for technological excellence and process innovation. Together we are now establishing a system that will significantly develop the market.”
About Thalia
Thalia is the leading omni-channel bookseller in the DACH region with around 6,800 employees. The Thalia network — and with it the physical retail business — continues to grow from year to year: Currently, around 530 bookshops in the DACH region operate within the Thalia network. The company is also continuously expanding its e-commerce offering and thereby increasing its user and customer base.
In Switzerland, Thalia holds a 50% share in Orell Füssli Thalia AG, which operates around 60 bookstores. In the independent bookselling sector, Thalia focuses on sustainable partnerships and offers its long-standing expertise and digital know-how through collaborative initiatives. The omni-channel strategy has proved successful: a key factor in Thalia’s growth is the integration of physical retail and online channels. By linking these sales channels ever more closely, Thalia ensures that the growing number of hybrid customers, who move seamlessly between the online and offline worlds, have their needs fully catered to.
In recent years, Thalia has steadily expanded its market share both in physical retail and online. In the 2023/24 financial year, the omni-channel bookseller generated turnover of more than €2.2 billion. Its market share currently stands at 28% in physical retail, 23% online and 25% in e-books.
For further questions, please contact
Sven Burkhard, President, Print & Packaging Solutions, telephone: +49 71 51 95 63 0