May 1, 2024 - Business

This online bookstore is helping mom-and-pops thrive

Felix Salmon

Illustration of a hardcover book opened with pages made from personal checks — Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Independent bookstores nationwide are benefitting from payments sent via Bookshop.org, an online store where customers can send some of the profits from their purchases to their local mom-and-pop.

Why it matters: It's hard for small brick-and-mortar bookstores to compete with Amazon — but not impossible.

Follow the money: Total profits remitted from Bookshop.org have reached more than $31 million over the past three years, or an average of more than $6,700 per bookstore per year, CEO Andy Hunter tells Axios.

Where it stands: The top five bookstores on Bookshop.org so far are:

Semicolon Bookshop, Chicago
The Lit Bar, Bronx, New York City
Harriet's Bookshop, Philadelphia
Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books, Philadelphia
Elizabeth's Bookshop & Writing Centre, Akron, OH

The bottom line: The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have precipitated a resurgence in independent bookselling, not only in the U.S. but also in places like the U.K. and Canada. New online platforms can only help.

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This online bookstore is helping mom-and-pops thrive

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