Importance of Indies

I love online shopping as much as the next person — but the “Shop Local” movement is so widespread for good reason.

Mom-and-pop stores, and, specifically, independent bookstores, offer so much more to the local community than their online counterparts. Indie bookstores:

• Boost the local economy

• Donate to local charities and engage in local coalitions

• Host intimate events and book signings

• Stock books that are off the beaten path

• Provide a welcoming space for face-to-face interaction rather than a faceless algorithm

• Compile the monthly Indie Next List  

• Employ knowledgeable, passionate people (who are, coincidentally, also your neighbors!) who care about getting the perfect book into your hands

It’s thanks to this (abridged) list of perks that the number of indie bookstores in the U.S. actually grew by 35% from 2009 to 2015 — a time when ecommerce was picking up major speed. Indie bookstores persist, though, because there is something so universally and intrinsically comforting about picking out a new book in a brick-and-mortar store.

For more information on indie bookstores and the Indie Next List, visit www.indiebound.org.

For help locating indie bookstores near you, visit www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder.