Why Did Amazon Fail to Kill the Independent Bookstore Industry?

Why Did Amazon Fail to Kill the Independent Bookstore Industry?

“The 3 Cs of the Thriving Indie Bookselling Industry

The condensed results of Raffaelli’s study reveals the 3 Cs that contributed to this phenomenon:

COMMUNITY: Indie bookshop owners promoted the idea of consumers supporting their local communities by shopping at local businesses. This way, they won back customers from Amazon and other “big box” retailers. It was a call to people to build a strong connection to community values.

CURATION: Indie bookshop owners began to focus on curating inventory with the purpose of providing a personal customer experience. They weren’t just recommending bestsellers. Instead, they developed personal relationships with customers, got to know them, and helped them discover emerging authors and unexpected titles.

CONVENING: Indie booksellers started promoting their stores as intellectual centers for gathering customers together who had common interests. Now, some bookstores host over 500 events each year.”