CLC acquires re:fresh Books

In March it was announced that re:fresh Books and Christian Resources in Tolworth, Surrey, had been acquired by CLC Bookshops. The shop joins 20 otherbookshops in the CLC chain.

Marguerite and David Williams have run re:fresh as a successful independent Christian bookshop since 2004 but last year announced they were looking to sell the
business and retire. The shop won the CBC ‘Small Retailer of the Year’ award just sixteen months after opening in October 2004 and was joint runner-up again in 2009.

In an interview with The Bookseller (regarding CLC Wholesale’s move to Chester), published just days before, CLC’s Interim General Manager Eddie Olliffe said “[CLC] will be undertaking a review of all our shops and some of them will probably close. However, we are not ruling out opening up new ones.” With the acquisition of re:fresh that process is already underway.

In the joint announcement Marguerite Williams said: “We are thankful to God that the ministry of re:fresh books is to continue in the hands of an organisation in which we have complete confi dence”. Eddie Olliffe added: “High Street Christian bookselling lies deep in CLC’s DNA … We are therefore very pleased to have this opportunity to continue the ministry of providing Bibles and Christian Resources, and to serve the Christian community in Tolworth and in South-West London and North Surrey.”