Corona Virus has proved to be an extremely virulent presence among industries, as both established brands and independent shops are facing drastic changes to the way in which they function. As an increasingly trendy part of the publishing sector, the Independent Bookshop’s had seen a growth in the number of stores between 2017 and 2019—from 869 to 890 stores in the UK and Ireland. However, the pandemic, which resulted in several lock downs, saw to many of these independents fearing closure or having to adapt to the “new normal”.
Independent bookshops have always been a vital part of society, they support core values of community, creativity, convening, civility and contact, while also offering communities an alternative experience from that of the larger chain stores or shopping online. Roxanne Coady—owner of an independent book shop in Madison said that “[for every $100 you spend locally, $73 stays in the economy, whereas $100 spent in national chains returns $43](https://www.swensonbookdevelopment.com/blog/2019/the-importance-of-independent-bookstores/ >). These shops are also home to book clubs, events for authors and to help facilitate the sales of non-mainstream writers, as independent publishers and stores are more willing to take risks on unknown authors.
The implications of Covid-19 meant that in lockdowns where stores were forced to close, independent shops struggled to remain frugal and were suffering due to their quaint, non-commercialised existence. In turn, small communities were deprived of jobs, entertainment, and culture that the huge conglomerates could not replicate.
The independent sector of the publishing industry already faced a significant number of pressures from external factors, which impacted their survival. Independents are mostly threatened by large competitors such as Waterstones and the rise of enterprises such as Amazon, who had an estimated share of 70% of all online book sales in the UK in 2011 alone. These companies adapted to the digital revolution, with sales being made predominantly through websites; making books easily accessible and cheaper to purchase. Books have also always been sold through their distribution in supermarkets such as ASDA, who are able to demand discounts of around 70%. The stores use market segmentation and stock only mass-market titles at a discounted price which attracts customers. Therefore, the closure of unessential stores during lockdowns only saw to the pressures on independents growing, as readers were directed to supermarket shelves, online competitors, or digitalised versions (audio or Ebooks).
Initially, the impact of Covid-19 was extremely negative, with closures and cancellations having no fixed time frame. The Bookseller’s survey of 72 small publishers revealed that 60% had feared closure by Autumn 2020, while 57% of these had reported no cashflow to support their businesses. Overall, 85% had seen sales drop by more than half. By early May 2020, UK booksellers were making 18% of their normal sales.
From the decline of instore sales in book shops, came the boom of digital books. Ebooks and audiobooks saw a surge in their purchase, while publishers such as Faber were choosing to release certain titles in digital form only, as a new marketing strategy for the ‘new normal’. This birth of digitalised books has massively affected the independent bookstore who, in most cases, do not have a substantial, up-to-date online presence compared to their corporate competitors.
Socially distanced guidelines, which encouraged the installation of Perspex screens in stores and customers wearing masks have allowed for stores to resume some form of normality and business. The Bookseller’s managing director, Meryl Halls stated that “massive investment” has gone into making stores Covid compliant so that stores can operate at an almost normal pace without going bankrupt. Unfortunately for the smaller bookstores, social distancing detracts from the ways that independents used to operate. As stated by Meryl, “self-isolation, social distancing and avoiding people and gatherings—are the exact opposite of what bookshops pride themselves on offering their communities.
Not only for financial reasons are the authors and members of society in uproar over the closures of bookstores. Lydia Smith, a freelance journalist reported that “the decline of the Highstreet is nothing new, but in the face of a growing mental health crisis, recognising the positive impact of reading—and therefore book shops—is crucial”. During the second lockdown, Meryl Hall and James Daunt (chief executive of Waterstones) agreed that it was morally questionable that garden centres and food shops were allowed to continue trading books, when book shops who were “clearly the best places to sell books”, remained closed.
To stop Amazon taking over the entire market and allow book shops to profit from online book sales, Bookshop.org was devised. Their aim is to be an alternative online seller for consumers, while also dividing their profits to keep book shops in business. The breakdown of this concludes that 10% goes to participating book shops, 10% to the publication that triggered the book sale and 10% to Bookshop.org to support the site. Independent book shops are supposed to receive a 25% commission for sales that they have personally driven to the site. Founder of Bookshop.org, Andy Hunter, well known face in the circles of independent book shops, was worried about their future when facing Amazon’s domination and decided that an independently funded site who gives most of its profits to communities who care about book shops, was needed.
Covid-19 not only curbed the growth of independent book shops but saw the development of initiatives that will challenge the status quo where the book market is concerned. Ensuring that these quaint shops remain the cultural hubs that they have always been, while creating new sources of profit through online ventures, has created a new lease of life for the independent book shop.