Independent booksellers continued to expand in 2023, with more than 200 new stores opening

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White Rose Books & More is part of the ever-expanding and diversifying world of independent bookstores. Even as industry sales were slow in 2023, membership in the American Booksellers Association (ABA) continued its years-long revival. It now stands at 2,433, more than 200 over the previous year, and has doubled since 2016. Around 190 more stores are in the process of opening over the next two years, according to the ABA. “Our numbers are really strong, and we have a solid, diverse pipeline of new stores to come,” says the book association’s CEO, Allison Hill. She cites a range of reasons for people opening stores, from opposing bans to championing diversity to pursuing new careers after the pandemic. “Some are opening to give back to their community. And some still just love books,” she said during a phone interview. Leah Johnson, author of the prize-winning young adult novel “You Should See Me in a Crown” was troubled by the surge in book bans and by what she saw as a shortage of outlets for diverse voices. Last year, she founded Loudmouth Books, one of several independent sellers to open in Indianapolis. “I’m not a person who dreamed of opening a bookstore. I didn’t want to be anybody’s boss,” Johnson says. “But I saw a need and I had to fill it.” Independent bookselling has never been dependably profitable, and Hill notes various concerns—rising costs, dwindling aid from the pandemic, and the ongoing force of Amazon.com, which remains the industry’s dominant retailer even after the e-book market stalled a decade ago. Nikki High, owner of Octavia’s Bookshelf, cites a variety of challenges and adjustments—convincing customers they don’t have to order items from Amazon.com, supplementing sales by offering tote bags, journals, and other non-book items. “And when we started, [...] we had a ton of different categories. But I found out that short stories and poetry almost never sell for us. People want general fiction, bestsellers, children’s books. Classics sell very well, books by James Baldwin and Toni Morrison and Bell Hooks and June Jordan.” “It’s incredibly important to listen to your customers.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.