Manchester independent bookstores join online bookshop during covid-19 crisis
- New online bookstore that supports local bookshops set up
- Many bookshops have suffered a drop in sales during the pandemic
Independent bookshops will be able to trade during lockdown due to a new website initiative called Bookshop.
Set up by writer Andy Hunter, Bookshop offers local bookstores the opportunity to create a virtual shopfront on the site.
The bookstores receive the full profit margin (30% of the cover price) from each sale.
More than150 UK stores have signed up to Bookshop, including Chorlton Bookshop, Stockport’s Simply Books and Urmston Bookshop, and more than 200 are predicted to be registered by the end of the year.
Bookshop launched in the UK on 2 November and raised more than £11,000 for small retailers in less than 24 hours.
Since launching in January stateside, more than 900 stores use the website and have sold £38k worth of books in February alone.
A statement on the website says: “Bookshop believe that bookshops are essential to a healthy culture. They’re where authors can connect with readers, where we discover new writers, where children get hooked on the thrill of reading that can last a lifetime. They’re also anchors for our high streets and communities.
“Many independent bookshops faced financial hardship after having to close in March due to the Coronavirus lockdown. They are now facing that struggle again, as England has entered the second national lockdown.”