We Buy Books Ltd
Registered name: WE BUY BOOKS LTD
We Buy Books Ltd made £23.7m revenue and £135k profit in the year to 31 Dec 2025.
We Buy Books Ltd’s revenue fell 4% to £23.7m in the year to 31 Dec 2025, with £135k profit and 2 employees. The company is classified under “activities of other holding companies” and is based in Rawtenstall; we hold 4 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Rawtenstall, North West
- Age
- 15 yrs · since 2011
- Type
- Private Limited Company
Pass-through vehicle. This looks like a holding, staffing or umbrella company. Its revenue and profit may largely pass through to or from other entities, so the figures may not reflect a standalone operating business. It is excluded from our opportunity lists.
Key figures
Badges are automated estimates derived from the filed figures — not statements of fact about the company.
Financial history
| Year to | 31 Dec 2022 | 31 Dec 2023 | 31 Dec 2024 | 31 Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Profit only | Profit only | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | ||||
| Revenue (turnover) | — | — | £24.7m | £23.7m |
| Cost of sales | £14.1m | £16.7m | £17.6m | £17.4m |
| Gross profit | — | — | £7.1m | £6.3m |
| Operating profit | — | — | £955k | £312k |
| Profit before tax | — | — | £740k | −£70.8k |
| Profit after tax | £820k | £670k | £645k | £135k |
| Profit (best available) | £820k | £670k | £645k | £135k |
| Staff costs | £0 | £0 | £0 | £3.2m |
| Employees (average) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ratios | ||||
| Profit margin | — | — | 2.6% | 0.6% |
| Gross margin | — | — | 28.7% | 26.6% |
| Revenue per employee | — | — | £12.4m | £11.8m |
| Profit per employee | £410k | £335k | £323k | £67.4k |
| Cash conversion | — | — | −154.4% | −335.6% |
| Growth (year on year) | ||||
| Revenue growth | — | — | — | ▼4.3% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼18.2% | ▼3.7% | ▼79.1% |
| Headcount growth | — | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | ||||
| Cash at bank | £8.1k | £3k | £13.2k | £239 |
| Net assets | £238k | £360k | £406k | £256k |
| Fixed assets | £2.4m | £2.4m | £2.4m | £2.7m |
| Current assets | £25k | £23.9k | £32.5k | £19.4k |
| Debtors | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Deferred income | £0 | £0 | £0 | — |
| Cash from operations | −£950k | −£1.5m | −£1.5m | −£1m |
| Source | FullAccounts · bulk data Sep 2024 | FullAccounts · bulk data Sep 2024 | FullAccounts · bulk data Jun 2025 | FullAccounts · bulk data Aug 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 0.6%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- 26.6%
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £11.8m
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £67.4k
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- −335.6%
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- 11.2%
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- 0%
- Money owed by customers. Low = customers pay quickly.
Balance-sheet signals
Year-on-year changes in filed balance-sheet items. They can hint at momentum (or investment) but are not revenue or profit and must not be read as such.
- Net assets
- ▼37%
- Now £256k
- Cash at bank
- ▼98%
- Now £239
- Headcount
- 0%
- Now 2
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- ▲10%
- Now £2.7m
Group structure
Subsidiaries (2)
- Revival Books LimitedRev. £23.7m · Profit −£269
- Hall Carr Mill Riparian Rights LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Sources
Latest figures from FullAccounts for the year to 31 Dec 2025 (profit £135k), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published Aug 2026. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.