According to the theguardian.com, independent bookshops are thriving despite an overall downturn in book sales.
After decades of decline, the sector has recorded three years of expansion.
Alison Flood, ‘People are so happy we exist’: indie bookshops grow despite retail slump
While this growth is good news, the article does go on to point out that Brexit and other uncertainties are making things difficult. In today’s current climate, we will take our good news wherever we can find it.
The Guardian goes on to say that we have a long way to go to get back to the same level of indie book shops as we had in 1995. Something like this:
At the Booksellers Association, managing director Meryl Halls welcomed the third year of growth in indie numbers, although she pointed out that it comes against a tough backdrop of online competition, rent and business-rate rises, and uncertainty around Brexit. And even with the increase, there are still less than half the number of independent booksellers in the UK and Ireland today than in 1995, when there were 1,894 stores.
Alison Flood, ‘People are so happy we exist’: indie bookshops grow despite retail slump