• Apps
    • App Store
    • Audio Reader
    • Good e-Reader News
  • Contact
  • Media
    • Advertise
    • Podcast
    • Videos
  • News
    • Android
    • Audiobooks
    • Bookselling
    • Business
    • Digital Publishing
    • e-Books
    • e-Paper
    • e-Readers
    • Libraries
  • Reviews
  • Good e-Reader Store
    • My Account

Good e-Reader

Get the latest news on e-Books, Audiobooks, Digital Publishing, Manga, Anime and Tablets

Independent Bookshops in UK Fall Below 1000 For The First Time

February 22, 2014 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment

bookshops

There are less than 1,000 independent bookshops in the UK, a figure that is  the lowest the country has had since accurate records of shops began being kept. The Booksellers Association has already called it a crisis situation, as there are just 987 bookshops across the entire country.

“Bookshops are important cultural and community hubs, and make a vital contribution to the health of our high streets and local economies in particular, so it is always disappointing to see them close,” said Tim Godfray, chief executive of the Booksellers Association, in an interview with The Bookseller.

“Everyone should sit up and take notice of this. The book trade, the government and the general public need to realise that if we don’t take action now, the future of our bookshops – and therefore the health of the publishing industry and reading itself – is at risk.”

The rise of the ebook culture is being held responsible for the slow demise of independent bookshops across the world. Not surprisingly, Amazon is held as the prime culprit, with Ibis Bookshop owner Linda Jones putting the blame squarely on the online retail giant for driving her out of business. Ibis Bookshop had been in business for 76 years and is the oldest independent bookshop in the UK; it is slated for closure next month.

Other reasons cited for the steady decline in bookshops are high rent (which has made it difficult to maintain a high street presence of late for the owners), parking fees–another factor that too is acting as a deterrent for buyers to actually travel to the bookshops–and supermarkets offering steep discounts on books and periodicals, luring customers away from the bookshops.

The country had 1,535 bookshops in 2005. Sixty-seven bookshops have closed in 2013, though 26 new bookshops also opened last year.

However, not everyone paints a negative picture. As Morag Watkins of Chorleywood Bookshop told The Bookseller, “It’s not all doom and gloom though. Those that have changed their models have been alright. We run festivals, go into schools and basically take the bookshop on the road. We’ve evolved into community-based hubs because we had to.”

Sovan Mandal (2780 Posts)

Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email

Author Info

News Items of Interest

  • KFC Dishes Up an eBook and Romance Fans Are Not AmusedKFC Dishes Up an eBook and Romance Fans Are Not Amused
  • Winning the Buy Box: What Does Amazon Owe to Authors?Winning the Buy Box: What Does Amazon Owe to Authors?
  • Amazon’s New Bestseller Lists Amazon Charts Aids DiscoverabilityAmazon’s New Bestseller Lists Amazon Charts Aids Discoverability
  • My Independent Bookshop is closing in the UKMy Independent Bookshop is closing in the UK
  • How to get e-book discounts when you buy printHow to get e-book discounts when you buy print
  • Amazon Prime Instant Video Will Make UK Debut on Feb 26Amazon Prime Instant Video Will Make UK Debut on Feb 26

Filed Under: E-Book News

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on RSS



Good E-Reader
Tweets about goodereader

Copyright © 2018 Good e-Reader - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use - Shipping and Return Policy