Trade news
Welcome to the latest National Book Tokens news and updates for booksellers. Scroll down for news about our products, services and campaigns, or read our latest retailer newsletters.
Our latest emails:
Our latest news:
Congratulations to the National Book Tokens Newcomer of the Year: Daydreams Bookshop!
We're delighted to usher in the new year with our announcement that the National Book Tokens Newcomer of the Year 2025 is Daydreams Bookshop in Milngavie, just outside Glasgow.
The award – now its fifth year – is given to new bookshops based, among other things, on their first full year of National Book Tokens sales and redemptions, both of which are a measure of how well they are engaging with local booklovers.
With the Booksellers Association (BA) reporting 45 independent bookshop openings in 2024, competition for the award is strong, and a reminder of the continued resilience and innovation of independent booksellers in the face of ongoing economic challenges.
Elaine, the owner of Daydreams, said:
"We are absolutely over the moon that our wee shop has won this national award – what a dream! We would like to thank our customers for choosing the gift of books and National Book Tokens for Christmas and we look forward to matching them with lots of lovely new books throughout 2025."
Lisa Bywater, Head of Marketing at National Book Tokens, said:
"Since they opened, Daydreams Bookshop have hit the ground running with the perfect offering for their community [...] Their strong sales and redemptions of National Book Tokens in such a short space of time show their commitment to helping their customers find the perfect book gifts for every type of reader."
The team have won a trophy, a luxury champagne, wine and food hamper, and promotion to National Book Tokens' 400,000+ book-loving email subscribers and 90,000+ social media followers.
We're driving footfall to your bookshop this January and February
For the fourth year, we're inviting customers to spend their National Book Tokens with local bookshops over the winter for the chance to win a massive £500/€500 cash prize.
We've sent point-of-sale packs to independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland, and digital banners and downloadable posters are available alongside assets for the BA's New Year campaign. Dual-language banners are available in Irish, Welsh and Scottish Gaelic.
Share instore and on your social channels to encourage redemptions in your bookshop and drive footfall at a traditionally quiet time of year! Don't forget to tag @book_tokens (X, Instagram) or @nationalbooktokens (Facebook) as well as @booksaremybag or @booksellingirel across X, Facebook and Instagram –and use #ChooseBookshops in your posts!
High Five for independent bookshops - this year's claims end on 31st January!
Please note that after 31st January, customers will no longer be able to use their vouchers to claim their free £5/€5 National Book Tokens. Make sure you give out any remaining vouchers as soon as possible, and tell customers about the imminent deadline!
Our popular promotion returned in June, with independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland rewarding their loyal customers with free £5/€5 National Book Tokens.
High Five for Bookshops is a national e-gift card giveaway that launched during Independent Bookshop Week in 2019, and aims to give indie bookshops a very tangible way of rewarding loyal bookshop customers, as well as driving footfall and repeat custom.
Independent bookshops who sell and redeem National Book Tokens received a book of 100 vouchers in June 2024. Each voucher includes a unique code which lets the recipient claim a free £5/€5 e-gift card – which they can then bring back to spend on more books! The kit also included a poster and some fun ‘I love my local bookshop’ stickers to give to younger booklovers.
The £5/€5 e-gift card is intended as a free gift for your customers. It’s entirely up to you how you decide to give them away, but here some ideas. You could give vouchers to…
… your most loyal customers
… attendees of your events
… members of your book group
… customers signed up to your loyalty scheme
… a hand-selected group of your favourite customers as and when you see them
… customers at random by hiding vouchers inside books
… winners of prizes
… anyone who has supported you in the last year
The promotion celebrates independent bookshops and the booklovers who shop in them, driving footfall and incremental sales over the summer and beyond.
For more information, view our Frequently Asked Questions. Plus, download shareable social assets and printable posters to tell your customers about your plans.
If you have any questions, or your vouchers didn't arrive, get in touch with the National Book Tokens team at marketing@booktokens.co.uk.
FAQs Download digital assets Contact us
The Brilliant Bookshop Experience
In early summer 2024, we worked with Read for Good and The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop to run a pilot scheme designed to introduce to children from less affluent families the power of choice, carefully curated books and the unique pleasure of browsing a bookshop. The pilot was called The Brilliant Bookshop Experience.
The project took into account that the life-changing benefits of reading for pleasure increase when children and young people both have access to a diverse range of books, and feel free to choose their own reading materials without adult judgement.
We created highly accessible pop-up bookshops in primary and secondary schools and provided guided trips to bookshops on the high street. Every Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 pupil in the seven participating schools was given a £10 National Book Token to spend on a book of their choosing, reaching over 1,400 children and young people.
We're now looking at ways this programme can grow, working with local bookshops, schools and publishers. Follow the link below to read the full report and register your interest in taking part.
Introducing your new gift card range for 2024-25
We’re delighted to present a diverse collection of new gift cards featuring eye-catching designs by UK and Irish illustrators and publishers, including gift cards inspired by Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, and Nadia Shireen’s bestselling Grimwood books for younger readers!
From birthdays and Mother’s Day to end-of-term rewards, there’s truly a gift for every reader and every occasion.
And with Christmas just three months away, now’s the time to make sure you’re ready for festive gifters – order your seasonal gift cards and point-of-sale online.
Merchandising catalogues 2024-25
View our latest catalogues, which include our new gift card designs as well as all the information you need to sell and redeem National Book Tokens in your bookshop. We sent physical copies in the post in September 2024; if you didn't receive one and would like one, please get in touch to let us know!
Don't forget, you can also browse our latest catalogues and order online straight away at our Bookseller Zone. Just scroll down to ‘Merchandising, resources and useful information’.
Visit the Bookseller Zone
Introducing our Presentation Card: offering new options and flexibility for local schools
We have introduced a new Presentation Card in response to schools and their requirements for prizegiving at the end of term, and throughout the year.
This new product incorporates a personalised or standard design National Book Tokens e-Gift card into an A5 presentation card which can also include certificate-style information about the reward or award being presented. It offers greater flexibility and additional options to school customers looking to encourage reading for pleasure and give the gift of reading, in what is a very competitive market. What's more, there's no additional cost to personalise the Presentation Card.
As a bookseller, you can offer this new product to local schools. As with personalised gift cards, we will manage the production process for you, and the transaction will go through your bookshop account. Just let us know how many Presentation Cards the customer would like, and the values to load, and we will do the rest on your behalf.
The Presentation Card includes all the usual details that you would expect to see on an e-Gift card, and is processed the same way at the till. To find out more, email Uzo Onuora or call 020 7421 4654.
Email Uzo
