Has the pandemic changed the book buying experience for good?
"The Shakespeare & Company Bookshop" by gadl (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
It is no surprise to anyone that this year has, globally, been far from idyllic. In a world ravaged by a deadly virus, social unrest, and government incompetence, escapism has been a sought after ideal, and one that has had to adapt to our locked-down lifestyle. Reading, it seems, has taken on a new lease of life. With hectic schedules and working environments being forcefully ground to a halt, slowing down with a good book has never been more appealing. But what does this mean for our buying habits?
By the end of April last year, fiction sales in the UK had risen by more than a third, with children’s fiction and non-fiction books doing particularly well. While the highest peaks of sales were met at the start of the UK’s first lockdown, the industry has continued to benefit from our extended period of isolation – in January, it was confirmed that book sales had hit an 8-year high in 2020. All this, of course, is in spite of the various lockdowns that prevented bookshops from being able to open.
For the publishing industry, these figures can only appear positive – at least on the surface. According to The Bookseller magazine, the 5.5% annual increase in UK book sales was the biggest volume rise on the market since 2007, as well as the highest annual market value since 2009. But perhaps the most interesting thing is the increase in those buying from bookshops between lockdowns. Speaking to The Guardian, The Bookseller’s charts editor Kiera O’Brien said that consumers seemed to be ‘making the effort to go to high-street and independent bookshops while they could, and spending a lot of money in one go.’ Did lockdown reading spur an appreciation for in-person book buying?
The act of going to a bookshop – especially an independent one – is easy to romanticise. Meandering through dusty aisles of gorgeous hardbacks, brushing against their spines, drawing your eye to bright colours or beautiful text. The satisfaction of walking out with brand new stories in the palm of your hand is difficult to match. And for most, online just doesn’t cut it – but neither do instore prices.
"Bookshop Window" by garryknight is licensed under CC BY 2.0
A survey of 2,000 UK consumers found that not only do the majority of book buyers shop online, but that 80% of them gravitate towards the biggest titan around – Amazon. The survey is from 2011, and so of course very outdated, but it’s safe to assume that the retailer has hardly suffered much in that time. Cheaper prices than independent bookshops were cited as the main reason for their preference, with the convenience of online shopping also coming into consideration.
Buying online, however, is far from mysterious, as with much of the online experience. Scrolling is monotonous, mundane, and something we often find ourselves doing when working from home (my dissertation is going very well, thank you). It seems that lockdown has made this all the more apparent, with support for independent bookshops becoming more and more popular, and sites like Bookshop gaining traction. A way to buy books online, but to directly put profits in the hands of businesses we actually want to support, it seems to be the perfect pandemic solution.
But for many, even this isn’t enough. The tangibility of bookshops, the experience of perusing through fresh copies of texts you’ve never seen before, versus searching for a book online you already know you’ll buy – there isn’t a comparison.
I’m relieved to see that people have found solace in reading in this troubling time. I’m even happier that bookshops have, in some ways, been able to mitigate some of the most damning effects of lockdown on their business. But we aren’t out of the woods yet. As we enter a new chapter of UK restrictions, I hope we don’t turn the page on bookshops just yet.
