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LAST YEAR, THE UK AND IRELAND HAD 1,052 INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOPS AT THE END OF 2024, DOWN ONLY SLIGHTLY ON THE YEAR BEFORE WHEN THE FIGURE WAS 1,063, SAID THE BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION 11:00, 14

Jan 2025 Britain's independent bookshops are "bucking the trend of high street decline", with the number of stores last year remaining close to a recent 10-year high, says a

trade group. The Booksellers Association reported that there were 1,052 independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland at the end of 2024, a slight decrease from the previous year's figure

of 1,063. Owners attribute the sector's resurgence in recent years to Covid-19 lockdowns and a subsequent increase in enthusiasm for reading, events, and the physical spaces of

bookshops. From a record low of 867 independent bookshops in 2016, numbers have rebounded to a peak of 1,072 shops in 2022. Nic Bottomley, who operates Mr B’s Emporium in Bath, said events

and curated book subscription services have become an increasingly important part of his business. Mr B’s Emporium hosts more than 50 of its own events per year, such as author talks, plus

many more for other organisations – including launch parties at the shop or pop-up sales elsewhere. "Bookshops tend to be run by pretty energised creative people who are looking for

opportunities to do different things," he said. "You have to not just be a shop, but be a shop that feels like it’s a warm, welcoming, experiential place." He added: "I’m

not saying that that doesn’t exist in in other forms of retail, but it’s at the heart and soul of book selling." Article continues below Mr Bottomley, who holds the position of

executive chair at the Association, pointed out the unique advantage bookshops have thanks to the know-how of their staff. He remarked: "The public do often regard us as somehow expert,

something like a semi-professional, rather than just a person at a till you know that there is an assumed knowledge. " He added, "That is almost always correctly assumed. The

people who gravitate to work in bookshops always love books." Despite these insights into the value of indie booksellers, Bottomley acknowledged the broader retail struggles, citing

data from the Centre of Retail Research which heralds an alarming rate of shop closures: 13,479 expected in 2024, averaging 37 daily. Mr Bottomley admitted that independent bookshops

haven't been impervious to tough times. "The cost side of running a running a business has just increased enormously (in the last few years). All the thing needed to run a

business, that could be what you pay for your website to what you pay for your paper bags, they’ve not edged up, they’ve jumped up." According to the Association's yearly survey,

the surge in living expenses and its impact on consumer confidence was a worry for 77% of its members. Moreover, concerns about the UK's economic situation and staff-related

expenditures were significant, coming in at 67% and 61% respectively. Meryl Halls, managing director of The Booksellers Association, has praised the resilience shown by bookshops amidst

overall high street downturns, attributing their success to the hard work and innovation of booksellers. She remarked: "They should be celebrated by us all but not to the point of

complacency or at the cost of action. Article continues below "This year’s Christmas trading survey of our members showed us how, in a sluggish overall book market and declining

footfall, bookshops once again found a way through the situation and should act as a reminder to everyone that bookshops cannot survive only on the tenacity and resourcefulness of

booksellers."