Independent bookstore

An independent bookstore is a bookstore that is primarily owned and operated by local business people with ties to the community, as opposed to bookstores owned by large corporations, or those that are based online. They are often very small or highly specialized and can carry new or used books, and sometimes both.

Independent bookstores have historically supported and cultivated the work of young authors and poets, publishing work that might have otherwise not been published.

American supporters of independent bookstores, such as the American Booksellers Association are often critical of corporate booksellers like Barnes & Noble and Borders Books and Music (the #1 and #2 book retailers in the U.S. as of 2005). They criticize these chain stores for dominating the bookselling industry with their large stores, discount marketing, and sales of non-book materials. The aggressive growth and marketing efforts of such chains are often blamed for driving independent bookstores out of business. Independent bookstores also face competition from mass merchants and discount department stores.

Bookstore tourism, a grassroots effort and marketing tool initiated in the U.S. in 2003, is aimed at raising the visibility of independent bookstores by promoting them as a group travel niche.