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For local shops, Independent Bookstore Day is ‘like Christmas and a bunch of other holidays rolled into one’

Asian woman wearing face mask choosing book magazine in book store.
Last year, independent booksellers saw their sales dip, some by as much as 40 percent compared to 2019, according to the American Booksellers Association.
(Pixfly/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Sellers hope annual event brings much-needed sales in the pandemic economy

When it comes to book sales, the COVID-19 pandemic has been both a blessing and a curse.

Authors and publishers rejoiced at the fact that book sales were up in 2020 by 6 percent, according to NPD Bookscan, but independent booksellers and neighborhood bookshops saw their sales dip according to the American Booksellers Association. Some stores even reported sales down 40 percent compared to 2019 numbers.

So while it seemed like the pandemic drove people to buy more books, most of those books were purchased online at sites such as Amazon and Walmart. Many independent bookstores did their best to stay competitive despite having to close their doors to in-store browsing. Some made it easier to purchase books online while others offered same-day, curbside pick-up or even hand-delivery options. But without customers allowed to browse and, to a lesser degree, having in-store appearances from authors promoting new books, independent bookstores have struggled to adjust to the pandemic economy.

But some much-needed help could be on the way.

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“Independent Bookstore Day is always our busiest day of the year,” says Seth Marko, co-owner of The Book Catapult in South Park. “Last year was kind of an exception, but it was still crazy busy. It’s like Christmas and a bunch of other holidays rolled into one.”

“It’s big deal,” Marko continues. “It’s kind of like a national party day for independent bookstores and drawing awareness to all of us which is great.”

Seth Marko, co-owner of The Book Catapult in South Park
Seth Marko, co-owner of The Book Catapult in South Park (photographed here pre-pandemic), says: “Independent Bookstore Day is always our busiest day of the year. ... It’s big deal.”
(Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Started in 2014 and held on the last Saturday in April, Independent Bookstore Day has become a much-needed shot of revenue for independent bookstores. Modeled after the successful Record Store Day, which focused on independent music retailers, the idea behind it was to incentivize customers into supporting their neighborhood bookstores. The main appeal was that customers could support local businesses while also being able to purchase exclusive, one-day-only items. Last year’s Independent Bookstore Day, which was postponed from April to August of 2020, resulted in a sales revenue increase of nearly 20 percent for many stores, according to the American Booksellers Association.

“Things are still so strange, but any excuse to celebrate what our frontline booksellers do day after day, and to celebrate bibliophiles in general, is cause for excitement,” says Amanda Qassar, the marketing coordinator for Warwick’s, the iconic bookstore in La Jolla that has been open since 1896.

“I’ve done this at a few different bookstores, and there’s always this feeling of infectious excitement and total nerding-out on just the love of books,” Qassar continues. “Just the fact that there’s a day for all the book nerds to come out and be unabashed in how excited they are about the special edition merchandise, the events, and just the spirit of everyone coming out.”

Still, this year’s Independent Bookstore Day, which takes place on Saturday, April 24, will be a dialed down affair compared to past years. While some stores will still be offering exclusive items such as T-shirts and tote bags, all shops are still limiting capacity and author appearances. Some stores, such as The Library Shop at the Central Library in the East Village, have opted for a “pop-up” option since the store itself has not yet reopened to the public.

“During the pandemic, we’ve been popping up outside of the local library branches,” says Library Shop manager Scott Ehrig-Burgess, who will be offering some of the Shop’s books and signature items outside Verbatim Books in North Park during Independent Bookstore Day. “It’s basically a mini-version of The Library Shop. All of our favorite things packed up into a car and then unloaded onto a table outside the store.”

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Another retailer doing a pop-up event is Run For Cover Bookstore. Owner Marianne Reiner had to close her Ocean Beach storefront back in July 2020 due to increasing rents and the slowing economy. She has kept the store alive in a unique way, offering online sales and personal delivery of books — complete with hand-written notes — as well as pop-up events when it’s safe to do so.

“We’re trying to create the same experience customers would have inside my four walls if I still had my store,” says Reiner, who is offering a curated selection of books and merchandise at her Independent Bookstore Day pop-up at Ultreya Coffee in Rolando. “I’ve had to rebrand myself as more of a book concierge. It’s been a roller-coaster, but it’s been full of really great surprises. People have not only continued to follow me and support me, but that number of people has increased.”

Some local shops have even found a more localized way to participate in Independent Bookstore Day. In 2017, The Library Shop created the concurrent San Diego Book Crawl (@sdbookcrawl on Instagram) event, which gave customers an extra incentive to visit multiple stores by offering additional giveaways, raffles, trivia contests and exclusive items including a collectible pin (created by local artist Susie Ghahremani). While past Book Crawls made it requisite to visit and purchase from multiple stores, this year’s Crawl will only require one $35 purchase at any of the 10 participating stores in order to receive the pin.

While organizers concede this year’s Book Crawl might be an “abridged” version compared to previous years, Marko and others see this year’s Independent Bookstore Day as something of a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to post-pandemic retail.

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“Our foot traffic has increased over the last few weeks, so things are looking up, and it lets me know that I think this will be a particularly busy Saturday,” says Marko. “A lot of people are vaccinated at this point, and I think people will be happy to be out and supporting small businesses.”

Independent Bookstore Day in San Diego

Wherever readers live, there’s a store nearby participating in Independent Bookstore Day and the San Diego Book Crawl, both scheduled for Saturday, April 24.

Bay Books Coronado: 1007 Orange Ave., Coronado. (619) 435-0070. baybookscoronado.com

The Book Catapult: 3010 Juniper St., Suite B, South Park. (619) 795-3780. thebookcatapult.com

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Bluestocking Books: 3817 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. (619) 296-1424. bluestockingbooks.com

DIESEL, A Bookstore: 12843 El Camino Real, Suite 104, Del Mar. (858) 925-7078. dieselbookstore.com

La Playa Books: 1026 Rosecrans St., Point Loma. (619) 226-2601. laplayabooks.com

The Library Shop: Pop-up store at Verbatim Books: 3793 30th St., North Park. (619) 236-5802. libraryshopsd.org

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Mysterious Galaxy: 3555 Rosecrans St., Suite 107, Midway District.
(619) 539-7137. mystgalaxy.com

Run For Cover Bookstore: Pop-up shop at Ultreya Coffee: 4653 College Ave., Rolando. runforcoverbookstore.com

UC San Diego Bookstore: 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla. (858) 534-7323. ucsandiegobookstore.com

Warwick’s: 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. (858) 454-0347. warwicks.com

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Combs is a freelance writer.


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