Photo credit: www.publishersweekly.com
On April 26, over 1,600 independent bookstores across the United States observed Independent Bookstore Day. Some shops began their celebrations several days prior, while others extended activities into the following Sunday. Alex Scott, a former bookseller from Chicago, expressed the festive atmosphere, calling it “absolute magic,” as she purchased books at a St. Paul store. Emily Kallas, outreach manager at the store, noted an exciting moment when a customer discovered one of 800 golden tickets, redeemable for audiobook credits from Libro.fm.
As Kallas stated, customers were eager to engage, advocating for local businesses amidst Amazon’s concurrent book sale from April 23 to 28, which the online giant characterized as an unintentional overlap with Independent Bookstore Day. Customers displayed their support by choosing to shop at independent stores, a sentiment echoed by many as they expressed a strong preference against the retail giant.
Lauren Groff, owner of Lynx Books in Gainesville, Fla., observed a 50% increase in her store’s sales compared to the previous year. She attributed the boost not only to the day’s events but also to heightened social media visibility promoting independent bookstores.
In Columbia, Mo., Carrie Koepke, general manager of Skylark Bookshop, reported record sales and noted customer dissatisfaction with Amazon’s timing, which seemed to galvanize support for local stores. Similarly, Cathy Fiebach, owner of Main Point Books in Wayne, Pa., mentioned that Amazon’s publicity might have inadvertently contributed to her store’s 35% sales rise this year, as patrons came in expressing their intention to support independent bookstores.
However, not all experiences were uniformly positive. Tom Batterson, manager of New Story Community Bookstore in Battle Creek, Mich., reported increased foot traffic and a 30% uptick in transactions, but also noted that some customers mentioned purchasing from larger retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Lorraine Wilburn, owner of Little Sparrow Bookshop in North Canton, Ohio, found her sales dropped this year, attributing part of the decline to coinciding library book sales.
Embracing Community Connections
This year’s festivities saw an unprecedented level of collaboration among bookstores through organized crawls, offering customers passports for discounts on future purchases. Kate Lockard Snyder, owner of Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Ky., described a successful partnership with nearby stores that attracted new customers, making it their best sales day ever.
The Nonbinarian Bookstore in Brooklyn, which opened just six months ago, celebrated its first bookstore crawl among 25 participating outlets. K. Kerimian, the owner, noted the heartwarming atmosphere as customers received medals for visiting multiple stores. “It was just like a really wholesome moment, like everyone was celebrating this person,” Kerimian shared.
In Atlanta, the inaugural Black Girl Book Fair took place with the collaboration of seven Black woman-owned bookstores, enhancing community spirit. Julia Davis, owner of the Book Worm, described it as her most satisfying Independent Bookstore Day yet, as many attendees stopped by her store before heading to the event.
Nina Barrett, of Bookends and Beginnings in Evanston, highlighted a remarkable 44% increase in revenues over the previous year, setting a one-day sales record. “The bookstore crawl has really caught on in Chicago’s book-loving community,” she remarked.
Across broader regions, cities experienced vibrant Independent Bookstore Day celebrations. In San Diego, a book crawl featuring 14 stores incorporated a shuttle service and appearances from notable authors. Portland, Ore., introduced its first North Portland Book Crawl, enriched with activities like kids’ storytime and a zine-making workshop.
In Seattle, bibliophiles embarked on ambitious challenges to visit as many bookstores as possible, significantly boosting sales. Some store owners noted that despite the chaos of intense customer traffic, the communal excitement of the day was palpable. “There’s so much good bookselling going on here,” reflected Jamie Schwesnedl of Moon Palace Books, emphasizing the importance of community support for independent bookstores.
As Independent Bookstore Day concluded, industry professionals expressed optimism and resilience in the face of competition, celebrating the thriving culture of independent bookselling.
Source
www.publishersweekly.com