|
|
| Reopening day at Read. in Holmfirth. | |
As bookshops reopened in England and Wales yesterday, Booksellers Association managing director Meryl Halls urged the industry to support them, telling the Bookseller: "There is no denying that the past year has been very difficult for bookshops and the wider high street, and we have seen booksellers show incredible creativity, determination and resilience in the face of unprecedented obstacles and challenges.... The coming months are going to be vital for many booksellers who have been impacted by prolonged and repeated lockdowns and restrictions during key sales periods. While we are supporting our members, as ever, with advice, guidance updates and initiatives such as the BA Covid Recovery Fund and Reopening Kits, it is essential that the entire industry comes together behind bookshops, from publishers and authors to distributors and other trade partners.
"Bookshops are a crucial part of the books ecosystem, providing vital community hubs, introducing readers to new titles and authors, and bringing the benefits of reading to a weary population. Booksellers need all of our support if they are going to continue to do their fantastic work within their communities.
All English and Welsh Waterstones branches reopened yesterday, with the exception of the Leadenhall Market and Liverpool Street Station outlets in London and Foyles in Birmingham Grand Central, the Bookseller noted. Scottish, Northern Irish and Irish Waterstones branches will follow as soon as restrictions allow, which is expected to be April 26 for Scotland. There is no confirmed date yet for Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Blackwells reopened its three Oxford bookshops, and branches in Cambridge, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Derby. Shops in Edinburgh and Aberdeen will follow on April 26, with other campus outlets set to open throughout the spring.
|
|
| At Bookbugs and Dragon Tales | |
Helgard Krause, CEO of the Books Council of Wales, applauded the "resilience and imagination" of Welsh booksellers, noting: "We wish all booksellers the very best of luck and urge customers to support their local high street shop, at a time when books and reading are more important than ever."
Yesterday, Read. bookshop in Holmfirth posted on Facebook: "Today was a GOOD day. We remembered how to do everything, our delivery arrived early and we managed a cup of tea (downed cold!). It was amazing to see people discovering books they’ve never seen before and a joy to serve people over the till. Feeling optimistic that things are on the up!"
Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich won the prize for best chalkboard(s) messages of reopening day.
---
In Canada, CBC News reported that "soaring sales at Vancouver's independent bookstores is one of the pandemic's good-news stories."
At Pulpfiction Books, owner Chris Brayshaw braced for the worst last spring, but 2020 quickly became the store's best in its 21 years of business. "Our sales went really, really sharply up," he said. "We pivoted from thinking that everybody would be staying at home to adding staff, adding an additional location and keeping up with demand.... A lot of customers are saying that being able to relax with a book that's not trying to disrupt your attention, not trying to sell you additional things, is just a kind of quiet, private space."
Although Ian Gill and his partner opened Upstart & Crow bookshop on Granville Island during the pandemic, it draws up to 50 customers each day and the owners hope to expand to offer literary events. "Those in-person, face-to-face things--we're really hoping we can do that in the next few months. That's kind of what we did this for in the first place."
Not every bookseller is thriving, however. Business at the Paper Hound in downtown Vancouver dried up at the start of the pandemic due to a dropoff in its regular clientele. "We're used to having a lot of office workers, a lot of tourists, a lot students and a lot of academics down here," said co-owner Kim Koch. "Those are exactly the populations that aren't down here right now." Though sales dropped by 30% during the worst stretch, business has now rebounded to just 5% below pre-pandemic sales.
---
Illustrator Tom Gauld explored "the bookshop cat's view of the pandemic" for the Guardian. --Robert Gray