Is
the future of bookstores going to be in the hands of their customers? Of course you believe yes, bookstores survive
on the sales they make to their customers, but what if some bookshops need
additional assistance to survive?
Well,
in the case of a New York City bookstore, Westsider Rare and Used Books, a
store that’s named the Upper West Side its home for 35 years, originally
called Gryphon Books, if it wasn’t for the kindness of strangers it would be
out of business.
After
announcing the store would close next month, its owner was shocked to see an
outpouring of community support. Within
12 hours of posting a Go Fund Me page, $10,000 was donated to helping keep the
doors open. Within a week it raised its
goal amount of $50,000. Thanks to 800
customers of the bookstore, nothing will shutter.
On
average, it took about $62 per person to keep the bookstore open. Is this what it’s going to take for
bookstores to remain literacy staples of the community?
Retail
is undergoing a fierce battle in the streets and malls of America. Rising rents,
higher property taxes, less foot traffic, and increased cut-throat competition
from Amazon; Wal-Mart, and online sites conspire to deliver a near death blow to
retail in general and bookstores particularly.
But
there is good news out there.
Print
book sales have continued to rise for at least five consecutive years – and the
number of indie bookstores has risen in each of the past nine years. According to the American Booksellers
Association, over 2,400 indie bookstores exist in America.
So
why the turnaround for books and indie bookstores?
1.
The
fall of Borders and stumble by Barnes & Noble created a bigger need for
indie bookstores.
2.
Communities
gather at indie bookstore events and support their store as a bastion for
free-thinking, open discussions by the educated and those in pursuit of
knowledge. The increased number of
events at many stores pushes book sales and social media chatter.
3.
The
ebook craze flattened out and the last several years have shown a decline in
ebook sales as a percentage of all book sales.
This means the younger generation still reads print books, possibly in
conjunction with digital reading.
4.
The
nation still reads books and values them.
Sure we can read tons of stuff online for free, but nothing replaces a
book.
Can
we improve upon the 5% revenue increase seen by independent bookstores in
America in 2018?
Absolutely,
but it will depend on:
·
Bookstores
marketing themselves well -- and adding more events to draw people in.
·
Bookstore staff remaining in the know of the latest book and sharing insights with
customers.
·
Indies
being price competitive.
·
Independent
stores aggressively using social media to bring its community to the store.
·
The
economy staying healthy
·
Continuing
to open new stores in underserved areas.
·
Partnering
with local non-profits, schools, government agencies, and houses of worship to
keep everyone updated on what’s being offered by the bookstore-turned
community center.
But we
may also need more Go Fund Me campaigns to save bookstores confronting rent
increases, a changing population, a struggling retail community, and attempts
by Amazon to suck everyone into its customer vortex.
The
Internet is littered with Go Fund Me campaigns to salvage indie
bookstores. I see one bid to buy Range
and River Books. Another one to save
Loome Theological Booksellers. Here’s
one for finding a new home for The Drama Book Shop. There’s another for helping Avid Bookshop
overcome flooding damage. The list goes
on -- and may continue to grow.
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