Shutterstock / Vladimir Borovic©There was some exciting news for book lovers this week, when Bookshop.org launched in the UK.
The online retailer is billing itself as a rival to Amazon — but one that supports local booksellers across the country.
It uses a similar model to the world’s second largest retail company. Independent sellers create a virtual “shopfront” through which they can operate, while crucially taking in the full profit margin from each sale for themselves.
All customer service and shipping requirements are handled by Bookshop.org and its distributor partners. Titles offered at a small discount and delivered within two to three days.
If you want to find a specific local shop to support, there’s a handy map you can use. Ordering from that shop means they’ll receive the full profit — but every order contributes to an earnings pool that is ultimately evenly distributed among every bookshop.
More and more businesses are signing up to use the service, just in time for the Christmas shopping rush.
Visit the website here and see if you can find your next book.
Click here to take a look at some of our favourite independent bookshops in the UK.
Click here to read the latest book reviews from the “Friend” team. We review everything from feel-good fiction to romance, adventure, horror, sci-fi and non-fiction. We’re sure there’s something for everyone.
Click here to read an interview with Karen Byrom, who edits the Book Page you’ll find in our weekly magazine. It’s her dream job, and makes us all a little jealous!
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
