• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Business and Economics Business

Is it still ‘David v Goliath?’ Independent bookshops join forces to rival Amazon

“Being an independent bookseller has for so many years been such a David v Goliath battle that it feels slightly disconcerting when someone at last hands you a bazooka instead of you peppering away with your slingshot.”

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-11-02 13:50
in Business
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Independent bookshops have joined forces to back the launch of a new online retailer taking on Amazon in the run-up to Christmas.

More than 150 UK bookshops have signed up to serve customers through Bookshop.org, an online platform billing itself as an alternative to Amazon for “socially conscious online shoppers”.

The site, which launches in the UK on Monday, launched in the US in January and rapidly grew in the face of the pandemic, raising 7.5 million dollars (£5.8 million) for independent US bookshops.

The platform said it works as a marketplace for independent stores, ensuring they receive the full profit margin (30% of the cover price) from each sale.

Books are offered to consumers at a small discount and delivered within two to three days, it said.

Local restrictions

It comes as high street retailers face local restrictions – including the complete lockdown of bookshops in Ireland and Wales – which could hamper trade ahead of Christmas.

Nevertheless, demand for books has been strong throughout lockdown, with publisher Bloomsbury reporting its highest profits for 12 years last month as people sought reading material to keep them occupied during lockdown.

RelatedPosts

McDonald’s to pay France huge sum in tax fraud case

Sainsbury’s CEO’s pay triples as supermarket rejects living wage calls

What’s to blame? Car industry suffers horrendous decline as chip shops beg Norway for fish to save businesses

Bonuses in City ‘at record high’ as ‘demoralised’ nurses ‘driven out’ of profession

Bookshop.org founder and chief executive Andy Hunter said: “Bookshops are essential to a healthy culture, and online sales are vital to safeguarding their future.

“Covid-19 has added further urgency to the need for bookshops to compete for online sales.”

The UK operation has been launched by former Etsy international boss Nicole Vanderbilt.

Bridport Bookshop, Bridport 2
The Book Shop in Bridport, Dorset, is one independent retailer backing the platform (Bookshop/PA)

Socially conscious

She said: “At a time when Amazon has enjoyed even greater advantage over high street competitors as a result of the pandemic, Bookshop.org offers a socially conscious alternative to customers wishing to shop online, while supporting bookshops in competing in an ecommerce environment.

“We’re delighted to be launching in the UK and look forward to working with bookshops, publishers, authors and beyond across the UK, while offering customers an entirely new online shopping experience.”

The platform said bookshop owners have been positive about its UK launch, and it expects to have 200 retail partners by the end of the year.

Andy Rossiter of Rossiter Books in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, said: “Being an independent bookseller has for so many years been such a David v Goliath battle that it feels slightly disconcerting when someone at last hands you a bazooka instead of you peppering away with your slingshot.”

Related: The great COVID robbery: Multimillion-pound companies take bailout money and lay off their staff

Tags: Amazon

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Belfast News Letter pens perfect response after Johnson hits out at ‘absurd’ trading arrangements

Gambling Meets Investing: How Bitcoin Casinos can be good news for Gamblers

These are the top 10 beaches in the UK

New way of smoothing over visible facial scars developed

35 Economists say handing out cash to households will boost economic growth

Master of posh independent school cleared by a judge of inappropriate behaviour after meeting 17-year-old schoolgirl for sex

Pamela Anderson blasts Gordon Ramsay for “cruelly” selling foie gras in his restaurants

Arsonists suspected of starting devastating fire which tore through historic cinema

Is pairing wine and food all it’s cracked up to be?

Man in court over £2.5million lottery fraud

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.