Every day is a 'prime' time to shop your local indie bookstore. Come in and get a thoughtful recommendation from people who love books as much as you do!
--The Bookies Bookstore, Denver, Colo.
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| At Thank You Books, Birmingham, Ala. | |
Like so many things regarding Amazon, Prime Day is not what the online retailer claims it is. This year the once-tagged "Black Friday in July" has been extended to four days, one more than in 2024. Fast Company considered the possibility that Amazon added a day due to concerns about "tariff-related price worries and possibly some consumer boredom with an event marking its 11th year."
Satirists have been out in force, their pens already sharpened by a certain $50 million Venetian nuptial spectacle, already dubbed Jeff Bezo's Big Fat Geek Wedding.
Andy Borowitz cracked: "Less than two weeks since he tied the knot with Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos has been finding it 'nearly impossible' to return wedding gifts to Amazon.... Bezos has experienced an unacceptable level of difficulty navigating the Amazon returns system and has failed 'repeatedly' to get a customer service representative to speak to him."
Bookshop.org got in on the fun with its anti-Prime Day promotion, in the form of a mock wedding invitation ("You are cordially invited to our Anti-Prime Sale, where every purchase will financially support bookstores, NOT billionaires."). TechCrunch had earlier noted that whoever designed a portion of the Bezos/Sánchez wedding invitation "could not even shell out for a Canva subscription. The image made the rounds across social media, with users speculating whether its lo-fi, childish design could have come from Microsoft Word clip art."
Alibi Bookshop, Vallejo, Calif., shared Bookshop.org.'s invitation on Instagram, noting that while "that A-word" is sometimes convenient, "what I also hear are complaints about downtown Vallejo, how there's nothing here, everything that's wrong with it, so on and so on. There are many things that can be done, and one of those things is buying locally and thoughtfully. If you want your city to thrive, and have places to go to, shopping on A***n definitely isn't going to make that happen."
Also having an Anti-Prime Day blast was Irish bookseller Red Books in Wexford, which shared a "Prime Day? More like Slime Day" video, noting: "While some online giants might have their one day sale last for four days, everyday is Prime Literature Day at Red Books. We have 250,000 books waiting for you to meet, many long forgotten by the algorithm. Visit a real world bookshop today. It's prime therapy."
And Talking Animals Books, Grapevine, Tex., offered up a cautionary video: "Shop indie July 8th-11th! Or else... (Note to viewers: don't be alarmed. No staff members were harmed in the making of this video. Maybe.)."
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| At Kings Co-op Bookstore | |
Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minn., gave a shoutout to Libro.fm, which is running a Love Your Indie Sale all month: "This week seems like a great week to learn more about @librofm and all the great audio books available for listening! Plus there's an awesome sale happening right now! A small business run by booksellers that helps out indie bookstores?? It's a partnership made in book heaven!"
Other indie booksellers checking in with Anti-Prime Day thoughts:
Kings Co-op Bookstore, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: "This week during prime day sales take a moment and think about what you need, how quickly you really need it, and where you might be able to get it in your community! It's surprisingly easy to boycott the crummiest company on earth and there's no shortage of great reasons to start trying. Thanks to our new friend @chris_rouleau for the amazing boxes that we've now got up in the shop, come on in and take a photo with one to show how much you think amazon sucks!"
Blue Marble Books, Fort Thomas, Ky.: "We highly recommend avoiding prime this week and going out instead to your closest indie location. Our recommendations come from real readers and never an algorithm. You get the books then and there from us, and your personal information isn't out there for those cookies to track when you shop locally. Instead you get kind booksellers looking for the perfect read on your journey now, not tracking your search history ever.... You're a reader, not a customer profile, and we remember you here."
Bayside Books, Panama City, Fla.: "While we may not be able to compete with the prices when Amazon undercuts themselves (and everyone else), we can offer homemade baked goods, a coffee bar, personalized book recommendations, special editions that Amazon will never be able to carry, a safe space for your children to play while you shop, and knowledgeable people ready to help with whatever you need."
Huxley and Hiro Bookstore, Wilmington, Del.: "Communities over corporations every day, but especially today! July 8-11 is Anti-Pr*me Week! Shop local, support indie, and fight the power."
The Bookworm, Omaha, Neb.: "It's prime time to shop local and independent! Ditch the algorithms and let actual book lovers help you find your next read at The Bookworm.... Indie bookstores like us believe your reading habits are yours, and that joyfully stumbling upon the perfect book is better than being sold something by a soulless computer. These Prime Days, shop local, support small."
The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, Ala.: "We never try to compete with those Pr*me Days happening this week. That's all about discounts and algorithms, while bookstores are all about COMMUNITY. Our Snail community is a beautiful, magical thing that we're grateful for every day. Thank you for supporting us, for shopping with us, and for believing in community."