Independent book shops fight back in retail wars

Independent bookshops across Scotland are experiencing a resurgence after more than two decades in decline.

For the first time since 1995, more independent bookshops opened than closed.

The swing has come as book stores today celebrate the launch of this year’s Independent Bookshop Week.

Figures have revealed the number of independent bookshops previously fell across the UK by more than a thousand from 1,894 in 1995 to 868 last year.

Independent Bookshop Week was started in 2006 by the Bookseller’s Association to promote independent bookshops amid fears of them becoming a relic of the past in the age of the e-book.

Industry experts say this has been averted. While new growth is slow, book retailers are hailing it as a sign that independent bookshops will soon return to being the customer’s first point of call.

Julie Danskin, manager of Edinburgh store Golden Hare Books, has argued browsing the shelves at independent bookshops can allow customers an escape from the outside world that scrolling online cannot.

Members of the industry are saying one of their greatest benefits is how much they invest in communities.

They claim money will be invested directly into the community by shopping locally and fostering links with other stores.