US EditionA wave of new owners brings fresh energy to independent bookselling
- Amber Salazar, a 33-year-old Colorado Springs resident, opened Banned Wagon Books last year as a pop-up store featuring frequently censored works.
- She decided to open the bookstore out of anger at widespread book bans and a desire to support intellectual freedom in the U.S.
- The American Booksellers Association has grown from 1,244 members in 2016 to 2,863 this month, despite high supply costs and cautious school sales due to censorship laws.
- Sales at independent bookstores like Point Reyes Books have risen 20% this year as people seek community and connection amid social media and political tensions.
- This resurgence suggests independent booksellers play vital community roles but may never regain their mid-20th-century dominance amid ongoing challenges.
65 Articles
65 Articles
Bibliophiles Are Sparking an Indie Bookshop Renaissance - Stephen's Lighthouse
“Earlier this year, Barnes & Noble announced that it’s set to open 60 new stores. But the retail chain isn’t the only book business making a comeback — independent bookshops are also gaining steam, thanks to a new wave of literature lovers opening pop-up shops and brick-and-mortar locations in their neighborhoods. “It’s incredible, this kind of energy,” Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, told the Associated Press. “I do…
Urban Reads Bookstore Owner Tia Hamilton Faces Racist Attacks: 'Now I Gotta Save Myself'
Baltimore bookstore owner Tia Hamilton is refusing to back down. As the founder of Urban Reads, a beloved Black-owned community bookstore in the city’s Waverly neighborhood, Hamilton has been the target of an ongoing campaign of racist threats—yet she remains resolute, defending her space and the broader Black community it serves. Since February, Hamilton has received hundreds of phone calls, texts, and social media messages filled with hate and…
Bolton Birch celebrate 2 new independent retail tenants
Chester’s city centre independent retail scene is boosted again as the Louison Family Concept store opened last weekend on St Werburgh Street. Other recent openings include the Bolton Birch let to Aldous Books in Godstall Lane, and Rodd & Gunn in the former Sole Trader unit. Marine Louison said: “We are so excited to introduce Louison, a Family Concept Store to Chester. We’ve always loved spaces that bring creativity and connection together, an…
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