read bookshop

There’s nothing like a new bookshop to fight the stigma surrounding the success of independent bookshops in modern times

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Image above taken by Farah Jamal

Read bookshop in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire is a little over a year old, and has already made a name for itself.

“We spend a good five minutes just smelling all the new books at first”. Couple James and Louise Ashmore say that they always dreamed of opening a bookshop, and after asking the question, “why are there no bookshops in Holmfirth?”, they decided to open one. “We always wondered why there wasn’t a bookshop in Holmfirth, so we decided we had to open one”, says James.

Images above taken by Farah Jamal

The bookshop has a bright and new feel to it, with books arranged neatly on every surface. Before it became a bookshop, the building used to be a dentist, nobody is complaining about the change though. “We do things for this community and beyond”, says James, and feels that the community has welcomed them, even more than they expected. “The local bus driver, Peter, he sometimes just comes in for a chat and a cup of tea”.

Getting to know their customers has meant that the Ashmore’s have been able to order and stock books for their customers. Before they opened, they didn’t have a nature category, but due to getting to know customer preference, they found that locals like to read about the village around them.

This prompts them to organise signing events that the locals will like. William Fotheringham, who writes about cycling has been in the works.

When asked about ecommerce as their competition, James replied that they don’t see it that way. “Amazon is not a threat as it isn’t the same business model, there’s no algorithm here”.

It is true that they tactile nature of bookshops is what makes them so special. Along with a unique identity, something that James and Louise made sure to have from the start. Redbak, the local design marketing company who designed their website and brand logo, built an online presence that showcases the personality of the shop. “It was important to have a strong online presence, but also to use a local company to do it”.

They have found that posting regularly on Instagram has led to many orders from customers who comment about a book. “Within half an hour from posting we usually get a message about a book”, says Louise.

James and Louise have three young children and wanted to have a good children’s section, and it helped that they knew the kinds of books that children respond best to. They even get them to give them reviews.

“It also helps the parents too, there’s books that can help them navigate a difficult conversation with their child, like this book- picks up The Breast Book by Emma Pickett - I’ve recommended this book to parents who have asked for help regarding puberty”, says James.

Along with recommending books, the Ashmore’s have already held and been a part of many events. The image above shows signed copies of ‘Here we are’, by Graham Swift, an exclusive to indie. The popular ‘The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse’, by Charlie Mackesy was discounted on Amazon, and yet this is the title that gave the Ashmore’s the biggest sale so far. This further shows that it isn’t always about the price for customers, and that they make the conscious decision to buy the beautiful hardback from Read.

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