How the independent bookstore defeated Amazon through the power of community
By Gigi Devlin, Associate Editor
Photo source: Author’s photo
My first week in Toronto, overwhelmed by the bustling and non-stop energy of Orientation Week, I opened my laptop and quickly searched “indie bookstores.” I picked the closest one, the BMV on Bloor, and found refuge there. Browsing the shelves of used books, I finally felt like I could breathe again amid the anxiety of beginning university.
The independent bookstore has long been my chosen place of refuge. Growing up with parents who owned one, I spent most of my free time reading comics and children’s books in the corner of the bookstore until closing time. At thirteen, I began hosting book clubs to provide other kids with the same haven that the bookstore was for me.
I went on to work there for three and a half years. I found refuge in curating the young adults’ bookshelf, and through books, I managed to escape the realities of the pandemic and high school. Even after my time working at my family’s bookstore ended, my love for indie bookstores continued.
Whenever I travel to a new city, my first priority is to visit at least one independent bookstore. In New York, I visited Books Are Magic. In Halifax, it was Bookmark. In Portland, Powell’s Books. In DC, Bridge Street Books. The list goes on. I picked up this habit from my parents, who like to support their industry peers, and for me, the habit has become a way to ground myself while travelling.
It is, therefore, no surprise that when I moved to Toronto, I wasted no time in exploring its indie bookstore scene. During my quick internet search in that first week at U of T, at least thirty results had popped up across every corner of the city map. This plethora of choices was a far cry from the struggling bookstore industry I had known before the pandemic.
When I was growing up, the economic threat of Amazon and Indigo to independent bookstores loomed large. These large companies can cut overhead costs in ways indie bookstores can’t. This allows them to carry more stock and to sell their books at significantly lower prices.
Take the trending novel Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, which is currently experiencing extremely high demand in Canada. At indie bookstores, which keep smaller inventories, the book flies off the shelves; with their limited resources, it’s harder for them to replenish. Indigo, however, doesn’t have to worry about such an issue thanks to its huge warehouses. Amazon, meanwhile, can afford to sell the book for five dollars cheaper than its competitors. If books are five dollars cheaper at Amazon and constantly in stock at Indigo, how can the dozens of indie bookstores in Toronto afford to stay in business? The short answer: community.
To understand how Indie bookstores managed to fight off Amazon’s threat, it’s important to first understand how Amazon became such a threat in the first place. When the average person thinks of Amazon, they think of the multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos or perhaps of convenient next-day delivery on every item they could want. They don’t necessarily think of the company’s origins as an online bookstore. Amazon started as an online bookstore, and as it has grown, it has monopolized the industry. The company purposely doesn’t publish its media sales breakdowns for this very reason, but economists have estimated that it sells 60% of physical books, 90% of e-books and 95% of audiobooks in America.
Books don’t typically sell on a high profit margin. For this reason, bookstores rarely can afford to give out discounts. For Amazon, however, this didn’t matter. Selling books at a low-cost was just a stepping stone to becoming an “everything store.” The company built its client base on low-cost books and then moved on to more expensive products. And if it ruins the bookselling industry in the process? That didn’t matter.
Less than twenty years after Amazon’s inception, its monopoly was already being felt. In 2009, the number of indie bookstores across the United States had reached an all-time low. Economists predicted that the industry was doomed, that Amazon’s arrival had brought about the bookstores’ untimely demise. But Amazon had missed a key part of the bookstore’s success: the opportunity for community. This mistake would cost the company.
Personally, my favourite shelf in an indie bookstore is always the staff picks. I want to discover a book that I’ll devour and rate 5 stars with fewer than 5,000 ratings, because Macie at Type Books recommended it with a sweet handwritten note.
When Amazon attempted to open in-person bookstores, the effort was short-lived. I remember visiting the Washington, DC location in high school. None of the recommendation tables had books that weren’t on the bestseller’s list. There was no personal touch to the displays. Despite the low prices, I felt no pull to purchase a book there.
Since 2021, the number of indie bookstores across the United States has increased by over 800. Indie bookstores have always provided community that Amazon can’t, and in a post-pandemic era that craves community, these shops have thrived.
Last year, during midterms season, tired of essays, I put on my winter jacket and trekked my way to Flying Books on Queen Street. The bookstore bar allows you to sit down with a book and sip on a literary-themed cocktail. I ordered the Atwood and sat down with a Miranda July book I had wanted to read forever.
While Amazon may provide low prices, indie bookstores provide author readings, local author recommendations, book signings, writing workshops, book clubs, and enthusiastic employees ready to give reading recommendations. Post-pandemic, they have gotten even more creative. Bookstore bars and hyper-specific genre bookstores have started popping up in different cities. The bookstore has become more than just a place to buy a book, and this has allowed it to succeed.
The threat isn’t gone. Amazon hasn’t stopped its attack on bookstores. It still has a monopoly on the market, and just last year, it moved its Amazon Book Sale to “coincidentally” coincide with Independent Bookstore Day. Independent Bookstore Day is another example of the community bookstores have that Amazon fears. Thousands of bookstores banding together to celebrate their industry and their own hard work. Bookstores fought back with Anti-Prime sales during Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale in July. But they can’t do the work alone. As book-buying individuals, we have to make a conscious effort to help them every time we purchase a book. To end off this piece, I’ll share with you my favourite Toronto bookstores and what they provide that Amazon never could.
Type Books: With three locations across Toronto, Type Books has my favourite staff picks section, and as a little bonus, the founders are U of T alumni.
Flying Books: Flying Books might be small, but they do it all! Publishing house, bookstore, bar, and writing school, the two Toronto locations have something for everyone.
U of T Bookstore: This one might surprise you, but U of T’s own bookstore is pretty great. If you find a book cheaper on Amazon, they will not just price match, but give you a 10% discount. The ultimate textbook buying hack!
BMV Bookstore: Almost impossible to miss as a U of T student, the BMV has almost everything you could possibly need. As an English major, this is my go-to for buying course readings!
Seekers Books: Do you want to hunt through stacks of used books for the perfect out-of-print book you couldn’t find anywhere else, and also meet a friendly cat? Seekers Books is the classic used bookstore, hidden on the lower level of a Bloor Street building.
The Beguiling: If you’re too busy with coursework to start a lengthy novel, then head off-campus to The Beguiling in Kensington Market for the best selection of every type of comics.
And lastly, while not a Toronto bookstore per se, if you ever want to order an audiobook, skip Audible (which is owned by Amazon). Instead, check out Libro.fm, which allows you to pick indie bookstores from all over the world for your purchase to support.
So, next time you’re searching for your next read, consider shopping at one of Toronto’s indie bookstores, and you’ll discover the best bookish community.
