Cheaper prices, convenience and range of titles are all major selling points for book shopping, but why is it important that they aren’t important?
Cover gif created by Farah Jamal
Bookshops are different from most other independent shops. Others mostly exist to create a profit and hold a purely transactional function as the main core. Bookshops offer more. They offer an environment where lovers of books can converse and share knowledge and like-minded company. They are spaces that can represent safety and sanctuary for many, specifically for the older generation who don’t have as many opportunities to go out and socialise. Philip Howards oldest customer is 104 and has been a regular to the shop for many years, “It’s a visit that she makes time for, as it’s an enjoyment for her as her mobility hinders her from traveling much”, says Ros, joint owner of Philip Howards Bookshop. What is even more interesting about this particular customer is that she lost her sight, and she buys books for her friends as gifts, and due to the trust, she has in the shop owners, she has them recommend and order books for her to buy and give away. This further reiterates one of the reasons why independent bookshops are so important, they hold customer trust.
Customers trust independents more due to many reasons, one being that talking to someone face to face, rather than on a screen for example, is much more assuring. Customer service overall is more personal and beneficial. Also, customers know that owners of bookshops must be lovers themselves, they are aware that they bring their own knowledge and opinions to the table. This also factors in to browsing and regularity. Customers and staff can develop friendly relationships, due to regular visits, giving staff opportunities to recommend books for certain customers. Mike from The Grove Bookshop in Ilkley regularly gives out recommendations to customers, “It’s very rewarding, when you recommend a book and a customer comes back and tell you they enjoyed it”. The owners of Philip Howards bookshop, Ros and Philip, even attend the funerals of their elderly customers, “we take it in turns, as we need to keep the shop open, so one stays for a few hours at the shop whilst the other attends the funeral, then we switch”.
Many customers believe in the browsing principal. The act of being able to see and hold a book and read the blurb for oneself is very appealing. Browsing adds to the overall experience of book buying, making it more of a pleasurable activity, rather than another business transaction.
Another selling point is community. Indie bookshops add to the culture and community of a location, they offer diversity, to both the community high streets, but also with the books they sell. Indie bookshops have a reputation for having titles that are harder to find, they have titles that many would not even think to search for on a search bar. This is another advantage of browsing. Alongside community is the opportunities that indies have to support schools, Read bookshop in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire teams up with local schools, with events that include school trips to the shop, with the children having a task set for them, of writing down one book that they want, which the school then sends to Read, and they order the books for the children. Along with events like this one, many indie bookshops offer school stationary supplies at discounts, to help combat the difficulty of current school finances in Britain. They also offer book clubs, author events, and other social event/activities that help to support and creativity and community life.
Indie shops also support new and local authors. Independents are free to feature titles that they choose, including ones that aren’t yet able to make it to the virtual shelves of Amazon yet. Whilst their prices can’t always match online, the importance behind the price is more than a match. The price of books locally are mostly the full price that they are sold at, rather than on Amazon where they are slashed considerably, and the reason is both due to the bookshop not being able to afford these sorts of discounts, but also that they want to support the author and publisher. Paying more for a book in the end means more royalties and income for the author and publisher, especially if the author and publisher are of a more local or less known name.
However, prices are not always more expensive than online, indies have their own discounts and deals with publishers that help to offer customers indie exclusives. Shops like Daisy Lane Books in Holmfirth sell second-hand books that are even cheaper than second-hand books found on Amazon.
Supporting local bookshops helps boost the local economy. when locals shop at an indie bookshop, more of the money stays in the community, providing more funds for the benefit of the community, and local businesses provide higher-paying jobs for people in the community.
On a base level, it is important for local businesses to still thrive, and be expected to thrive. Those with dreams of starting a local business should be encouraged to start a business and be independent and individual, rather than discouraged through disheartening sales and the growing theme of endless chain coffee shops.
Online buying offers convenience, but local bookshops also offer the same. It is perhaps even a healthier choice as they encourage travel, helping boost spirits and health. This coupled with the lack of waste produced when a book is shipped and transported to someone’s front door. Ultimately making local shopping a healthier choice for the environment, specifically for paperback books.
The familiarity and the tradition of indie shops are what make them so important on an individual scale. Whilst online can feel familiar, it is usually a state familiarity, not one that creates a sense of belonging and warmth.
Books are personal. Independent bookshops are personal, making the two a perfect match, something that is becoming increasingly important to celebrate and support. It is up to the customers to protect them, and keep them alive for many years to come.