I enjoy reading that independent bookstores are not just surviving, but thriving! I read an interesting article titled Bookstores Write Plot Twist by John Wilkens. In the article, Wilkens writes the following:
When it comes to the story of American bookstores, many people think they already know the ending: extinction.
Maybe so, but right now there’s an interesting plot twist going on. In San Diego and elsewhere, independent bookstores are making a comeback.
Mysterious Galaxy, located in Kearny Mesa, recently moved to larger quarters, doubling its space and doubling down on its future.
“Brick and mortar booksellers remain very important to the reading culture, maybe even more so than in the past,” said Maryelizabeth Hart, the store’s co-owner. “As more and more channels make a huge assortment of titles available, our knowledge and curation are valuable assets to readers.”
Nationwide, the number of independent stores, which had been as high as about 4,000 in the early 1990s before plummeting to about 1,400, went back over 2,000 this year, according to the American Booksellers Association.
Sales have grown at independent bookstores, too, up about 8 percent in each of the past three years.
John Mutter, editor-in-chief of Shelf Awareness, which publishes a newsletter every weekday about the book industry, said the change in fortunes for mom-and-pop stores is due to several factors, including the collapse of the mega-chain Borders and ongoing contractions at Barnes & Noble.My parents live in San Diego. So, the next time I make a visit to see them, I'll have to stop by Mysterious Galaxy. I've never been there before, but Mysterious Galaxy sounds like my kind of bookstore. Another book blogger had told me about how awesome Mysterious Galaxy is, so I'm am looking forward to making a visit to this indie bookstore!
Which indie bookstores do you visit that are awesome and thriving?!?!
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