The number of independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland reached a 10-year high in 2022, with 1,072 stores now in operation, according to the Booksellers Association (BA). This marks the sixth consecutive year of growth for the sector, which had previously suffered a 20-year decline that saw numbers fall to a low of 867 in 2016.
The resurgence has been attributed to lifestyle changes during the coronavirus pandemic, as people read more and sought out bookshops when they reopened. Meryl Halls, the BA's managing director, said the revival 'confirms that bookshops are crucially important – and valued – parts of our high street communities'.
However, Halls warned that bookshops face significant challenges, including recession, inflation, labour shortages and rising costs. 'Margins are extremely tight, and for bookshops to thrive on high streets they need governments to take action to protect small businesses from the cost of living crisis, as well as unequal tax burdens such as business rates,' she said.
The growth in independent bookshops comes against a backdrop of a 'brutal' year for the wider retail sector, with a Centre for Retail Research report finding that about 47 shops closed every day in 2022, totalling 17,145 closures. The British Retail Consortium described 2022 as 'an exceptionally difficult year for both consumers and retailers', with falling sales volumes when adjusted for inflation.
Best-selling authors in 2022 included Richard Osman with his Thursday Murder Club series and Colleen Hoover, known as 'BookTok queen', with titles such as It Ends With Us. Halls expressed hope that the number of bookshops would continue to rise, noting that they bring 'social and cultural capital' to communities.
