While some doomers have fear-mongered about digital tools ending reading, in reality, readers and books are thriving. The fall months in particular see an increase in book sales as the weather changes, students go back to school, and people spend more time indoors.
Retailers have embraced new trends in bookselling and literature, finding creative ways to compete on needs other than price and convenience.These include creating online communities of booklovers; hosting unique in-store experiences; and offering exclusive items and opportunities for readers.
Here are five emerging book trends in retail that are helping literature to prosper in the digital age:
- The Revival of Indie Booksellers
The number of independent booksellers has been growing, with hundreds of new stores opening in 2023 and 2024. Membership in the American Booksellers Association – a national nonprofit trade organization that supports the success of independent bookstores – has reached its highest levels in more than 20 years.
New, independent retailers include traditional brick-and-mortar stores, pop-up shops and even stores that began online through Instagram.
As The New York Times explained, “No one has quite figured out how to replicate that kind of incidental discovery [that you get in a bookstore] online. It makes bookstores hugely important not only for readers but also for all but the biggest-name writers, as well as for agents and publishers of all sizes.”
- Social Media Communities: BookTok, Bookstagram, and BookTubers, Oh My!
Social media is changing the way readers find new books. The Economist called #BookTok – a hashtag used by creators who feature book recommendations – a source of “enormous marketing power.” LitHub referred to it as “a publishing juggernaut… the most powerful word-of-mouth engine the book publishing industry has ever seen.”
BookTok brings literature to younger audiences by making reading “cool” and helping readers find new books related to their interests. Other social media platforms, like YouTube (where book reviewers are known as BookTubers) and Instagram (where they’re known as bookstagrammers), also open new marketing opportunities for publishers and retailers. The trend has been especially helpful for offline bookstores by creating a community of readers who want to find books and events in person.
- Literary Partnerships
Some retailers are integrating literature into their brands and products to help customers foster their love of reading. For example, two of Jack Kerouac’s fantasy baseball players inspired the name of the eyewear retailer Warby Parker, and literature is woven into the brand’s business. Warby Parker has hosted book clubs for its employees and stocks titles in its stores from independent publishers like McSweeney’s.
Since 2009, Amazon has provided more than $17 million in funding to local, regional and national literary organizations across America that support and champion writers. This year, they are providing nearly $1 million in funding to 93 organizations.
Thriftbooks, one of the largest online book retailers and the largest seller of used books, has saved more than a billion books and helped resell them. In May, they sponsored Little Free Library Week and pledged to donate over 10,000 books to fill Little Free Library boxes nationwide. Thriftbooks also just launched a new buyback program for customers to sell their books to others interested in thrifting books online.
- Special Editions
Major bookstores and other retailers are working with authors and publishing houses to feature special editions of top books that cater to customers who want the physical experience of reading a beautiful book. The Barnes & Noble Exclusive edition of the popular novel The God of the Woods, for example, includes an original essay from the author, embossed paint drip on the cover, and pink endpapers. A Target-exclusive edition of Sarah J. Maas’ novel House of Flame and Shadow features a bonus scene available only in that edition.
Book subscription boxes are also on the rise. Illumicrate, for example, publishes unique editions of romance, fantasy and horror books, typically with artistically sprayed edges and exclusive covers and endpapers.
- Bookstore-Business Partnerships
To attract new customers and keep existing ones frequenting storefronts, bookstores increasingly add other features to their stores or partner with other businesses. This often includes coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, breweries and flower shops. Lost Books in Montrose, California, features a living botanical tunnel and sells plants in addition to books, while Sweet Pickle Books in New York sells pickles.
As new platforms and innovations emerge for buying and selling books, retail plays a crucial role for consumers to find literature.
Through the integration of traditional bookstores and online platforms, retailers bridge the gap between authors and readers, making books more accessible to audiences worldwide. Their efforts to curate unique literary collections, host author events, and promote literary works help this landscape to prosper.