Oxford University Press

Company Information & Key Figures

About

Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. OUP has a rich history which can be traced back to the earliest days of printing. The first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, just two years after Caxton set up the first printing press in England. The University was involved with several printers in Oxford over the next century.

From the late 1800s, OUP began to expand significantly, opening the first overseas OUP office in New York in 1896. Other international branches followed, including Canada (1904), Australia (1908), India (1912), and Southern Africa (1914).

Today OUP has a remarkably diverse publishing program, reaching far beyond a traditional university press offering. OUP is publishing in 97 different languages, and in a variety of formats–print and digital, resulting in more than 6,000 titles a year covering an extremely broad academic and educational spectrum, and aiming at all audiences – from pre-school to secondary level schoolchildren; students to academics; general readers to researchers; individuals to institutions. Furthermore, OUP sells more than 110m units each year, has a presence in 52 countries, and employs about 6,000 people worldwide. As a department of the University of Oxford, OUP’s worldwide publishing furthers the University’s objectives of excellence in scholarship, research, and education.

Analysis & Key Developments

Update: For fiscal 2018, the Oxford University Press reported revenues of 840,1mGBP. Besides, profit before tax accounted for 99,7mGBP. (AR 2017/18)

Financial

The Oxford University Press closed fiscal year ended in March 2017 with an increased performance. Therefore revenues totaled to 847,4mGBP, reflecting a „growth of 3.3% on a like-for-like basis at constant exchange rates“, compared to 760,5mGBP in 2016. Profit before tax increased during the year to 110,5mGBP, compared to 85mGBP in 2016. Moreover, OUP’s academic division achieved a 2.4% turnover increase. The turnover in the US and North American Higher Education markets grew, as it did in Dictionaries, where the Press saw exceptional licensing deals and an uplift in advertising revenue. „The Press saw improved trading conditions in many of its main markets and a strong competitive performance right across its business in 2016/17.“, noted Nigel Portwood, Secretary to the Delegates and Chief Executive of OUP. (AR 2016/17)

Internal organization

Changes in management

• In February 2017 Timothy Barton announced that after over 25 years he’s going to step down from his position as Managing Director of Oxford University Press’ academic division in September 2017. (BS 02.02.2017) OUP appointed David Clark, Senior Vice President for Health and Medical Sciences at Elsevier, as the new Managing Director of its Academic Division. (PR 08.08.2017)

Partnerships

• In January 2017 OUP and Silverchair Information Systems have engaged in a technology relationship to build a next-generation digital platform for OUP’s content and services. The new Oxford Academic platform is home to all Oxford Journals content with online products scheduled to follow thereafter. (company information)
• In July 2017 OUP announced its partnership with the Law faculty of the Universidad de Chile The agreement, which marks the first collaboration between the two Universities, provides unlimited access to more than 12,000 titles to a vast array of subjects, including law, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and medicine.
• In September 2017, OUP entered into an agreement with Malvern House International Limited (MHIL), to develop mobile app games for the learning of English. (PR 04.09.2017)

Acquisition

• In April 2017, Sinauer Associates, Inc.; publishers of college-level textbooks and educational multimedia in biology, psychology, neuroscience, and allied disciplines; has become an imprint of Oxford University Press. (company information)

International

In 2017 the secondary school business in the UK and Australia showed strong performances. OUP’s businesses in China, Pakistan, and India all achieved high growth rates. Furthermore, underlying school’s sales increased in South Africa. In Argentina, Mexico, Vietnam, and the CAMENA region the ELT businesses grew at a good rate. On the other hand, OUP saw reduced sales all over Europe, specifically in Spain, Italy, and Poland. (AR 2016/17)

Digital

„Digital innovation was an important focus for the year, with OUP launching its new academic platform (via Silverchair Information Services), set to host all its academic online content, as well as developing an assessment platform for the ELT business, and working with Emerge Education on EdTech initiatives.“ (BS 06.07.2017) During the financial period, digital products and services accounted for more than half of academic’s overall revenue. Moreover, OUP stated that continued investment in technology and digital innovation are central to the Press‘ current and future plans—from investing in marketing technology to experimenting with new online services. (AR 2017/18)

Bestseller

• In South Africa, the Bilingual English-Afrikaans Dictionary was successfully launched and is now the best-selling bilingual dictionary in the South African schools market. (AR 2017/18)
• The OUP’s Children’s Dictionaries remained market leaders and the portfolio of nearly 80 titles grew its market share to 66 percent. Although tough market conditions for Children’s Dictionaries in the UK, „due to less funding being available in schools for print resources and fewer people purchasing print dictionaries.“ Moreover, OUP stated that Children’s Dictionaries performed well in international and co-edition markets. (AR 2017/18)
• Besides the Press noted that in children’s trade fiction, the stand-out brand was Isadora Moon, selling thousands of copies in the UK. Furthermore, the best-selling picture book series was Winnie and Wilbur, with especially strong sales growth in China. (AR 2017/18)