Why Shop at a Bookstore?

I am old enough to remember when a visit to the local bookstore was something of a special treat. Back in the days when Friday nights meant picking out a video to rent, spending a few sweaty hours running circuits at the local roller rink or playing kick-the-can with the all the neighborhood kids. If you are over a certain age, it’s probably safe to say your childhood was also quite different from that of the modern experience. The classic independent bookshop is one such significant difference. You might recall how our world was disrupted between the end of the last millennia and the start of the new. It was the moment we witnessed the demise of such businesses as Borders, Walden Books and Family Christian Bookstores. Deeply involved in the Christian book world myself at the time, I observed some of these changes first hand. It wasn’t a pretty site. 

In an effort to establish dominion over the American consumer and gain the first major online retail audience, Amazon, still in it's infancy, decided to adopted Walmart's habit of offering books as loss leaders. This meant retailing New York Times best selling titles well below cost. With a little help from Wall Street, and a few possibly shadey deals, they were able to ingeniously jinks the system forever. The book industry would never be the same as the rules of competition were drastically rewritten. As a side note, it’s important to state that this climatic rise to the top would probably not be possible today, as books are no longer the primary source of Americas entertainment. At the time, I was a kind of “industry specialist” which afforded me a front row seat to this emerging phenomenon. Publishers struggled to determine if they would indeed allow the tech giant to sell their products at or below cost. Smaller independent bookstores, which functioned on a basic cash flow structure, were the first to fall prey to the online book revolution. Large chain booksellers failed to pivot. Similar to the well documented Blockbuster Video blunder, the big box bookstores had unfortunately seen their day. This awarded Amazon complete control over the industry and many more industries to come. A new story was written as the next two decades brought complete carnage to the book world. 

Today, the independent bookseller industry looks much different. We’re seeing a slow but steady increase in emerging owner operator bookshops. The business goals and models often markedly differ from those of the not so recent past. There’s an emergence of causal bookstores which heavily focus on changing societal norms or capitalizing on fringe trends. Subsidies for certain population segments are award for new book business but seldom serve as a recipe for long term success. In contrast, I personally believe a return to the once loved neighborhood book shopping experience is what consumers want now more than ever. It’s time to get back to the basics and remember what we loved most about bookshops in the first place. 

Small bookstores simply cannot compete with Amazon. After all, how could any business succeed when outrageous discounts for the same items can easily be found elsewhere. However, if you’ve read my blog post this far, you probably agree that there’s something about being able to pick up a book off a store shelf and actually hold it in your hand that’s hard to beat. All the digital images and electronic readers in the world can’t compare to the feel of a real book in your hand. Of course, e-books are certainly a modern inspiration and allow us to carry entire libraries in our back pocket. But the ability to turn real pages, smell the ink, gift well loved titles to a best friend, somehow makes all the difference in the world. Bookstores are much more than a suppository of random thoughts and ideas. It’s a place where inspiration comes in the form for friendships, spontaneous learning and connection. We shop our local bookstores because we want to support community spirit and encourage actual human contact. 

In an age where it is possible to live life completely within the confines of four walls, it’s good to get out and touch grass every once and a while. The traditional independent bookshop is that oasis. There’s no need for any contrived cause to prey on our sensibilities or virtues but it is sufficient that the bookstore is there. Walking into a family friendly bookshop is like stepping back in time and remembering a age when life moved much slower. A small book nook gives us a chance to slow our busy brains for a bit, reflect on just being present and enjoy life with one another. Discounts are nice but connection is better. Shopping online is convenient but discovering a hidden gem on a shelf is worth the extra dollar. I strongly encourage you to find your neighborhood oasis and take a moment to smell the pages today.