A surprise Covid survivor: indie books

[marmar]

Independent bookstores see post-pandemic bump
Stores and online sales have increased as people rediscovered reading

By Zina Kumok
Published October 5, 2024 9:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit, supply chains around the world were instantly disrupted. The drop in supply correlated with price increases, resulting in higher-than-average inflation.

....(snip)....

Despite people tightening their purse strings, one place seems to have thrived during Covid: the independent bookstore.

Rising numbers

Research shows there has been a sharp increase in the number of independent booksellers, even though monoliths like Amazon still reign supreme. In my own city of Indianapolis, I can think of five independent bookstores that weren't here before Covid.

“The pandemic was incredibly tough for many small businesses but also helped kickstart lots of folks reading more again, so many of us ‘rediscovered’ reading,” said Jake Budler, who owns Tomorrow Bookstore in Indianapolis with his wife, Julia Breakey.

My hometown isn’t an outlier. In fact, the number of independent bookstores has grown by 200 from 2022 to 2023 and the number has more than doubled between 2016 and 2023. Also, the American Booksellers Association said that online sales for independent bookstores have seen a 500% increase since 2020. ...................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/10/05/independent-bookstores-see-post-bump/