How Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores Can Compete With Amazon

Amidst ever-growing competition from Amazon and other online vendors, in tandem with rising rent prices and declining consumer spending, many local mom-and-pop bookstores are closing down. Even with heavy discounts, bookstores that have remained profitable for generations are struggling to offer the same level of convenience that a streamlined online purchase can. Independent bookstores that have continued to survive through the pandemic and other economic hiccups are employing various unique tactics that allow them to stay afloat.

The first of which is centering their marketing strategy around face-to-face connection, which post-pandemic consumers positively associate with mental health. To do so, these traditional stores may serve coffee and tea in an attempt to allow people to converse in their stores. This has the effect of both lengthening the amount of time the average customer spends in the store and framing the bookstore as a ‘makeshift cafe.’ Not only does a food license give people an added incentive to come into the store but it also diversifies the bookstore’s revenue. 

These stores may also hold events, such as bingo nights or group reading sessions, that develop a sense of community connection that appeals to consumers. These events can also be specifically adapted to each demographic; for example, a bookstore struggling to sell its collection of children’s books may hold a board-game event for kids aged 4-11. Separately, many bookstores have founded their own book clubs or allowed existing ones to host inside their stores, generating both face-to-face connection and more profit (since book club members will usually buy from the store they host events at).

 Another way to incentivize in-person shopping is to sell another unique product that serves as a ‘hook’ for customers. Whether it be baseball cards, dated vinyls, or rare Funko pops, these products are generally harder to find online, encouraging people to go to their local bookstores. In fact, it is getting people to come into the stores in the first place that conventional bookstores are struggling with most, not getting them to purchase a book. These ‘hook’ products, which can be displayed in windows, bring people into the store who then may end up purchasing a book as well. They work especially well because they generally do not have a mandated retail price, meaning they can be sold with larger margins.

Digital infrastructure matters too. Many bookstores have begun to offer to hold books for those who reserve it on their websites. Affiliate social media partnerships can drive people to support local. Both websites and social media pages can help a bookstore promote upcoming events and sell existing inventory. Overall, these new distinctive strategies have enabled many brick-and-mortar bookstores to compete with their online counterparts, despite being less convenient from a consumer’s perspective.