America Now Has 70% More Bookstores Than in 2020, Says Bookshop.org Founder

Source: Slashdot

“There are about 70% more bookstores now than there were six years ago in the United States,” says Andy Hunter, the founder/CEO of Bookshop.org.

Fast Company checks in on his site, which gives over 80% of its profit margin to independent bookstores, structuring itself as a B Corporation (a for‑profit company certified for its social impact) while providing an alternative to Amazon and other online booksellers.

Growth of Bookstores

Hunter created Bookshop.org in January 2020 to help independent bookstores survive by utilizing e‑commerce. He notes:

• In 1995, there were over 5,000 bookstores in the American Booksellers Association (one year after Amazon launched).
• By 2019, that number had fallen to 1,889, meaning more than half had disappeared.

The pandemic accelerated Bookshop.org’s growth. Stores that had been hesitant to adopt e‑commerce were forced to sell online to stay afloat.

Impact on Online Sales

“Our goal is to help independent local bookstores get their fair share of online sales, which would end up being maybe 10% of Amazon’s market share,” Hunter says. “And right now we’re at about 2%, so we have a long way to go. But a lot of people didn’t even think we could ever get 1%.”

Financial Contributions

Bookshop.org has returned almost $47 million to local bookstores through its profit‑sharing model.

Cultural Shift

For Hunter, the mission goes beyond money. He’s pleased that many large organizations have stopped using Amazon affiliate links and now direct customers to Bookshop.org. “People have absorbed the message that they should support independent bookstores when they buy books,” he adds.