Provincial guidelines due to rising Covid-19 numbers sent several regions into lockdown in December and this lockdown has been extended for most of January in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.

Here’s what we know:

Chapters and Indigo stores in Manitoba, all of Ontario and Quebec will be closed to the public for at least four weeks. There are 90 Chapters and Indigo stores across the country. About half are now affected by these measures.

Independent bookstores in these regions are also affected, with most moving to curbside delivery and pick-up. Almost all of the independent stores in these regions that had previously reopened continue to receive Magazines Canada shipments.

Our distribution plan at this point is to pick, pack and hold orders for closed stores and send these orders when they reopen. This is also Disticor’s plan for the Chapters/Indigo distribution.

Tilwood (the Magazines Canada warehouse) and the Disticor warehouse have been deemed “essential services” and remain open for receiving and shipping to open stores.

We will continue to distribute magazines about twice a month beginning with a big shipment to be sent to all open stores the week of January 11. At this time we do not anticipate draw numbers to be affected. Should there be further lockdowns in other regions, or should the current lockdowns continue into February, we will be asking publishers to get in touch requesting new draws in advance of sending copies, as we did in the spring and summer of 2020.

Stay safe everyone!

We will keep you posted with regular Distribution Updates as news unfolds.

If you have questions, please contact Chris Chambers directly at cchambers@magazinescanada.ca or 416.994.6471 x233.

Chris Chambers
Retail Accounts Manager
Magazines Canada