The net number of independent bookshops in the U.K. and Ireland remained stable in 2023, after several years of slowly rising totals, while new openings appeared to be "holding steady," according to Booksellers Association managing director Meryl Halls. In her annual letter to the trade, the Bookseller reported, Halls observed that the BA's membership numbers, which will be released in January, indicate that "bookselling is still a massively attractive career and sector," despite challenges.
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While many people still plan to open indie bookshops, Halls noted that margins remain low and costs are "bearing down on SME [small and medium-sized enterprises] and large booksellers alike," and the industry must create "conditions where bookshops can thrive.... That's partly about commercial terms and ongoing supplier support for bookshop activity, but it's also about working to create trusted and creative relationships between publishers and booksellers."
Halls highlighted the importance of the supply chain and the changing "distribution landscape," which has "created concern for booksellers this year," while also noting that the role of sales reps and the "importance placed by booksellers on the tasks performed by reps was as high as it could have been, and we know from our members' experience how significant reps can be in the breaking out and building of authors, the consolidation of the publishers' retail relationships and, ultimately, the sale of books to consumers."
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British retailer WH Smith has launched a trial rebrand of the company's the logo to "WHS" at 10 locations, including Preston and York. The Guardian reported that it is "unclear whether the trial will be extended to the other 1,100 stores across the U.K. in travel and high street locations. However, it has prompted a strong reaction from customers online, many of whom are unhappy with the revamped look." Some pointed out that the new logo looks similar to the NHS (National Health Service) design.
Nick Bubb, a retailing analyst and consultant, said: "There is some logic in having a different logo for the high street stores compared to the travel stores but the S in the WHS logo should be in a different typeface so it does not look like the NHS, so the rebrand has been poorly executed."
WH Smith described the move as a small trial with no guarantee it would be expanded, the Guardian noted.
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A wave of bookshops have "sprouted up across Europe with the intention of giving voice to female authors, past and present," the Guardian reported, noting that in Madrid, Spain, a 2017 crowdfunding campaign gave rise to Mujeres & Compañia, while in Berlin, Germany, She Said is dedicated to books by female and queer authors. Six years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rachel Wood launched a book subscription service, Rare Birds, in an effort to champion women's writing. A bricks-and-mortar bookshop soon followed.
In Lisbon, Portugal, Greta Livraria has dedicated its small space entirely to promoting female authors. Describing the strategy as a "form of historical reparation," owner and founder Lorena Travassos said the aim is to "counter the longstanding disparities in sales and publications faced by women."
"Over and over, people tell us how exciting it feels to come into the bookstore and see every inch of shelf space devoted to women's writing," said Wood. "Visually, it's very impactful."
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New Year's Eve tidings posted on Instagram by New Zealand bookseller the Next Chapter Bookshop, Wanaka: "Wishing all our friends and customers a Happy New Year, and a huge thank you for all your support in 2023. We will be closed tomorrow, 1st January 2024, and are open from 10am everyday, from Tuesday, 2nd January. We hope you have a relaxing day tomorrow and catch up on your holiday reading." --Robert Gray