Booktopia’s new owner swoops on library supplier James Bennett

Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

May 20, 2025 – 10.05am

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Last year, consumer electronics business digiDirect expanded into book retailing after snapping up Booktopia, the collapsed industry giant that had once been listed on the ASX and valued at more than $400 million.

James Bennett is one of Australia’s biggest suppliers to public libraries. Wayne Taylor

Sarah Thompson has co-edited Street Talk since 2009, specialising in private equity, investment banking, M&A and equity capital markets stories. Prior to that, she spent 10 years in London as a markets and M&A reporter at Bloomberg and Dow Jones.

Kanika Sood is a journalist based in Sydney who writes for the Street Talk column.

Emma Rapaport is a co-editor of the Street Talk column. Prior to that, she was a markets reporter at The Australian Financial Review.