Metro Detroit bookstores thrive despite reading slump
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
Fewer Americans are reading books, but here's the plot twist: The bookstore is still staging a comeback.
Why it matters: Once left for dead in the wake of Amazon's rise and the death of Borders, Barnes & Noble and independent booksellers have pulled off a stunning turnaround, opening new stores and reporting higher sales.
Zoom in: Metro Detroit has seen several new shops open in recent years, including Next Chapter Books in Detroit, Whistler's Daughter Books in Ferndale and Howard Family Bookstore on the city's west side.
The big picture: AI threatens to disrupt information consumption, and certain genres are slumping — but bookstores have remade themselves as a hideaway from modern distractions and a place of authentic discovery.
What they're saying: "The revival is there," Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt tells Axios.
- Daunt — a U.K. bookseller — is widely credited with turning around B&N since taking over in 2019.
- He empowered local managers to stock books based on what their communities like to read, renovated stores, overhauled book displays and refreshed the assortment of non-book items.
By the numbers: Independent booksellers are enjoying a renaissance.
- The number of U.S. bookstore companies rose 70% from 2,010 in 2021 to 3,416 in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association.
- 73% of booksellers recorded a sales increase in 2025, with more than 47% saying sales rose at least 6%.
Yes, but: 36% of Americans say they're reading fewer books than they did a decade ago, according to a CBS News poll conducted in June.
Between the lines: In our increasingly isolated world, bookstores also serve as third spaces where people gather. Many local shops encourage customers to linger, learn and make friends — not just shop and exit — through comfortable seating, pop-ups and events tailored to community interests.
Go deeper: Explore other locally owned bookstores like 27th Letter Books in southwest Detroit, Source Booksellers in Midtown and Coreander's Children's Bookshoppe in Grosse Pointe Park.