Gardners Books Limited
Registered name: GARDNERS BOOKS LIMITED
Part of The Little Group Holdings Limited groupGardners Books Limited made £347m revenue and £11.2m profit in the year to 28 Feb 2025.
Gardners Books Limited’s revenue fell 5% to £347m in the year to 28 Feb 2025, with £11.2m profit and 933 employees. The company is classified under “non-specialised wholesale trade” and is based in Eastbourne; we hold 4 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Eastbourne
- Age
- 40 yrs · since 1986
- Type
- Private Limited Company
Key figures
Financial history
| Year to | 28 Feb 2023 | 28 Feb 2024 | 29 Feb 2024 | 28 Feb 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | ||||
| Revenue (turnover) | £380m | £365m | £365m | £347m |
| Cost of sales | £311m | £296m | £296m | £278m |
| Gross profit | £69.2m | £68.7m | £68.7m | £68.6m |
| Operating profit | £19.3m | £16.5m | £16.5m | £13.3m |
| Profit before tax | £19.5m | £18.1m | £18.1m | £15.1m |
| Profit after tax | £15.7m | £13.5m | £13.5m | £11.2m |
| Profit (best available) | £15.7m | £13.5m | £13.5m | £11.2m |
| Employees (average) | 974 | 958 | 958 | 933 |
| Ratios | ||||
| Profit margin | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Gross margin | 18.2% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 19.8% |
| Revenue per employee | £390k | £381k | £381k | £372k |
| Profit per employee | £16.1k | £14.1k | £14.1k | £12k |
| Growth (year on year) | ||||
| Revenue growth | — | ▼3.9% | — | ▼5% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼14.3% | — | ▼16.7% |
| Headcount growth | — | ▼1.6% | — | ▼2.6% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | ||||
| Net assets | — | — | — | — |
| Source | Accounts · bulk data Nov 2024 | Accounts · bulk data Nov 2025 | Accounts · bulk data Nov 2024 | Accounts · bulk data Nov 2025 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 3.2%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- 19.8%
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £372k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £12k
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- —
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- —
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- —
- Money owed by customers. Low = customers pay quickly.
Balance-sheet signals
Year-on-year changes in filed balance-sheet items. They can hint at momentum (or investment) but are not revenue or profit and must not be read as such.
- Net assets
- —
- Now —
- Cash at bank
- —
- Now —
- Headcount
- ▼3%
- Now 933
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- —
- Now —
Group structure
Ownership chain
- The Little Group Holdings Limitedultimate parent75–100%
- The Little Group Limited75–100%
- Gardners Books Limitedthis company
Bands show the share of ownership each company holds in the one below it.
Sister companies (6)
- Askews and Holts Library Services Ltd.Rev. £31.5m · Profit £71.2k
- A.t. Little & Sons LimitedRev. £30m · Profit £483k
- Baker & Taylor (UK) LtdRev. £24m · Profit £535k
- Book Protectors & Co. LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Hive Store LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Lasgo Chrysalis LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Sources
Latest figures from accounts for the year to 28 Feb 2025 (profit £11.2m), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published Nov 2025. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Updated from Companies House on 23 Oct 2026
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.