In the wake of struggling online bookseller Booktopia filing for "voluntary reorganisation" earlier this month, Robbie Egan, CEO of BookPeople (the association of Australian booksellers), shared his thoughts on the impact of the company's decision.
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"One of the challenges of this job and for our industry is the narrative that bookshops are going out of business," Egan wrote in a letter to members. "After a hectic 24 hours of media questions about Booktopia entering voluntary administration, I feel the narrative has shifted. It's not a good story when a business of that size falters. Many people have lost their jobs and a huge channel for local publishing and writing is imperiled. Media are now far more attuned to the message we've been pushing for the past six years, that local independent bookshops are resilient businesses that serve the industry and their communities with a level of care and personalization that online giants simply cannot match. None of this changes the current challenges we are all facing, but at least the gloom and doom narrative is quarantined to one business.
"We have an opportunity to reach more readers now. Online comments about the story often reference local bookshops, and a huge pool of readers will be seeking a new bookseller. Shopping local is an antidote to the situation Booktopia is in, and we want to take those readers from defaulting to Amazon. Booktopia's assets now represent an incredible opportunity. The business could be converted into a social enterprise that operated for the benefit of independent booksellers in Australia, much like bookshop.org but with ownership and integration of the fulfilment service. This is magical thinking, and perhaps if I was younger and it was earlier in my career I'd investigate it with a risk appetite far greater than I now possess. It's good to dream though, and the idea of a centralized ecommerce platform working for all of us is intoxicating and would be transformative.
"All we can do now is keep working, to continue providing the personalised excellence that bookshops are built for. We are open to Australian readers, as successful businesses, trusted curators, and welcoming democratic spaces. We can take Booktopia's huddled masses and turn them on to the best experience of all--their local bookshop."
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The Booksellers Association of the U.K. & Ireland has released initial plans for Bookshop Day, which will take place on Saturday, October 12. This year's theme is "Bookshops Making a Difference" and celebrations will include a special spotlight on Glasgow, an exclusive video featuring high-profile authors, a limited-edition bag designed by Angela Harding and more.
About 1,000 bookshops are set to take part in Bookshop Day. "Up and down the country, bookshops will be celebrating with their customers and authors, with events taking place in-store as well as special offers, promotions and exclusives. A special video featuring high-profile authors talking about why they love bookshops and encouraging consumers to choose bookshops will be shared across social media," the BA noted, adding that, as this year's city spotlight, Glasgow "will be taken over by murals celebrating bookshops, created by local artists."
Emma Bradshaw, BA's head of campaigns, said: "This Bookshop Day we're highlighting the difference that bookshops make to our local areas all year round. They are hugely valuable as retail spaces and, additionally, many bookshops are running programs to improve literacy, wellbeing, and the cultural landscape of our communities. We want to remind consumers of the value of their local bookshops, and to choose to do their Christmas shopping with them. We're thrilled to have so many exciting aspects of our plans already confirmed, and look forward to sharing more in the coming months." --Robert Gray