Readers Rejoice: Bookstores Are Back!
Bookstores are making their way back and bringing people together as they come. For readers, bookstores can be a sort of safe haven, but after a large downfall of the beloved stores due to online shops like Amazon, they seemed to be a dying industry. In 2019, there were around 1,887 bookstore companies and 2,524 locations, but it dropped to 1,701 companies and 2,100 locations in 2021. However, in 2022, the numbers began to increase and eventually became a whopping 2,023 companies and 2,506 locations. More and more small independent bookstores are being formed along with the big-name bookstores everyone knows. It is predicted that the bookstore industry in the US will bring in a revenue of around 164 billion dollars in 2023 compared to 142 billion in 2022.
“People are really looking for a community where they get real recommendations from real people,” said Nyshell Lawrence, a local bookstore owner from Lansing, Michigan. “We’re not just basing off algorithms.” Book readers around the world are looking for a more one-on-one experience instead of buying books online, and it’s bringing the bookstores back.
Lucy Yu, the owner of Yu and Me Books in Manhattan, says her customers settle down in a little nook in her store. “I’ve seen some dates going down in there,” she stated. “Good ones. Bad ones.” A woman named Ms. Chin says Ms. Yu’s store has become “a sort of gathering spot for and artistic literary-minded locals.”
In 2023, Barnes and Noble is planning to open 30 new stores which will make it the leading bookseller in what’s being called a “big-box revival”. Barnes and Noble had around 730 stores in 2008, but only has around 600 today. With their new plan, Barnes and Noble will see more stores opened than closed.
Early and new readers alike will keep their safe haven and maybe find some new ones. Independent bookstores are shaping, and old ones are growing, so it’s safe to say readers all over the US will have a bookstore waiting for them. The question is, will they last?
