An L.A. Couple Rallies To Save Indie Bookstores And Other Small Businesses

Inspired by stories about the woes of local indie bookstores, the couple at the head of a skin-care company (this is Los Angeles, after all) decided to do what they could to aid small businesses, including indie bookstores, in the area. “The thing I’m fearful the most of after this is, when we lift our … Continue reading “An L.A. Couple Rallies To Save Indie Bookstores And Other Small Businesses”

An Obama May Save Bookstores, Again

At least that’s the hope of many U.S. booksellers – that the 44th president’s memoir will juice sales in a way that will help offset pandemic losses. “Demand among American customers is so high that Penguin Random House, Crown’s parent company, has printed 1.5 million copies in Germany to bring over on cargo ships.” – … Continue reading “An Obama May Save Bookstores, Again”

As A New Potential Lockdown Looms, Canada’s Indie Bookstores Are Doing Surprisingly Well

Personalized book and wine deliveries, a mix of weekly children’s online reading clubs, subscriptions services, and a heavy uptick in the use of the internet – all are helping Canadian independent bookstores survive. But another lockdown may be coming before buyers can get their holiday shopping finished, a make or break proposal for small indies. … Continue reading “As A New Potential Lockdown Looms, Canada’s Indie Bookstores Are Doing Surprisingly Well”

Thinking About Indie Bookstores

One bookstore near the High Line in New York: “The last day we were open, I asked customers where they were from. Turned out that they were all British flying back home. The last sale was to an Englishman, who bought Albert Camus’ The Plague. We wished each other luck.” – The New York Times

Strand Bookstore’s Owner And Remaining Staff Aren’t At Each Other’s Throats, Exactly, But …

“Why, they wonder, are their fellow employees still out of jobs while the owner gets a government payroll loan and has the money to invest elsewhere?” (Owner Nancy Bass Wyden spent more than $100K on stock in Amazon this year.) “Bass Wyden … says she needs to spend money to make more money while the … Continue reading “Strand Bookstore’s Owner And Remaining Staff Aren’t At Each Other’s Throats, Exactly, But …”

Sure, Yes, Why Not Open A New Indie Bookstore In The Fall Of 2020?

Well … there are a lot of reasons why not, but if you’re Anne Marie Kessler in Klamath Falls, Oregon, you’re doing it to give back to your community – who also helped renovate the 1906 hotel that had been vacant before she and her husband decided to move in. “We’ve had 106 people who … Continue reading “Sure, Yes, Why Not Open A New Indie Bookstore In The Fall Of 2020?”

A Site Built To Compete With Amazon, But For Indie Bookstores, Makes Moves In Britain

Bookshop opened in the U.S. in January, hoping to build its site slowly while helping independent bookstores in the States. Five weeks later, cue COVID-19 shutdowns. “By June, Bookshop sold $1m worth of books in a day. The platform has now raised more than $7.5m (£5.7m) for independent bookshops across the US.” Now it’s starting … Continue reading “A Site Built To Compete With Amazon, But For Indie Bookstores, Makes Moves In Britain”