The UK’s largest bookseller, Waterstones, has said that sales of books rose 5% in December, whilst Kindle sales “disappeared to all intents and purposes”.

The increase in physical book sales follows a wide-ranging store refurbishment programme at the company and a reshuffle in the company structure that allows store managers more autonomy to respond to local trends.

James Daunt, chief executive, said: We used to try and run exactly the same bookshop in Blackpool as in Hampstead. That, my youngest daughter would tell you, is probably not sensible.”