The Resurgence of Independent Bookstores: Why Shopping Local Matters This Holiday Season, and Beyond

Anika Horn
4 days ago
9 min read

If you’ve attended our events, you may recognize Anika Horn. A valued member of our team, she brings her expertise as a discussion moderator, community builder, and events strategist. Anika is also the mind behind 40 Bookshops Under 40, a project highlighting the importance of independent bookshops and vibrant local economies. Anika wrote this article to illuminate the cultural, economic, and emotional impact independent bookstores have - and why choosing local truly matters.

Picture this: It’s a chilly December evening in downtown Staunton. You duck into Staunton Books & Tea to escape the cold, greeted by the scent of spiced chai and the warm glow of overhead lights. Tourists and locals alike are chatting by the shelf displays and one of our shopkeepers - probably Chelsea or Vicki - smiles in recognition as you wipe your feet. It’s cozy, personal, alive.

Contrast that with a cold cardboard box from an online warehouse, flung onto your icey doorstep or yanked into your mailbox – no community, no cheer. Just a packing slip and some bubble wrap (if you’re lucky).

Once upon a time, places like this would vanish in the age of Amazon’s one-click convenience. In fact, many analysts predicted a “retail apocalypse” at the hands of Amazon, only to be proven wrong as independent bookstores turned out far more resilient than expected [1]. Far from disappearing, indie bookshops are making a comeback, and we have our community to thank for it.

This holiday season, we want to share why supporting local bookstores like Staunton Books & Tea isn’t just quaint or nostalgic: it’s essential for our town’s economic health, community vitality, and cultural life.

Independent Bookstores Are Back (Yes, Really!)

Not so long ago, it looked like the big chains and online giants had won. But a curious trend emerged over the last decade: people came back to their neighborhood bookstores. Since 2009, the number of independent bookstores in the U.S. has grown by 53%: from about 1,651 stores to 2,524 in 2019 [2]. This resurgence has stunned industry experts who once thought small bookstores would forever be on the endangered list.

“Independent bookstores act as community anchors; they serve a unique role in promoting the open exchange of ideas, enriching the cultural life of communities, and creating economically vibrant neighborhoods.”

American Booksellers Association (ABA) [3]

What sparked the turnaround? In short, independent bookstores learned to do what Amazon can’t. We doubled down on the things that make local bookstores special: personal curation, community connection, and a welcoming physical space full of heart.

Your local bookstore might not have every title or the absolute lowest prices, but it offers something far more meaningful.

“You can buy a book anywhere, but you can’t buy community.”

Libro.FM [4]

The team at Staunton Books & Tea (like indie booksellers nationwide) handpicks books with you in mind, from beloved classics to local authors you won’t find featured on Amazon’s homepage.

We take pride in matching each reader with just the right book. Rather than an impersonal algorithm, it’s real people who curate our shelves with thought and care. It’s why you’ll find surprises here: that perfect gift or new favorite novel you didn’t even know you were looking for – and a sense of discovery that an online scroll can’t replicate.

Cultural Relevance

Literary discovery and diversity: Independent bookstores excel at curation: they handpick books you won’t find on a generic bestseller list. Shoppers get to discover new, diverse, and lesser-known authors that algorithms might overlook [5]. This championing of fresh voices keeps the literary culture dynamic and inclusive.
Cultural hubs for ideas: Bookstores act as mini cultural centers, hosting author readings, signings, and discussions that enrich the community’s cultural life [6]. They provide a forum for dialogue, learning, and the celebration of stories, effectively nurturing a local culture of reading and thought.
Keeping the love of books alive: In the face of digital media, indie bookstores help sustain our society’s love affair with the printed book. Not only have print book sales been rising steadily in recent years [7], but booksellers actively fuel this passion by “pairing the right book with the right person,” ensuring each reader’s experience is meaningful and memorable [8]. By making book-buying a personal, delightful experience, they ensure that literature remains a vibrant part of community life.

Cultural Exchange

Equally important, independent bookstores have transformed their shops into vibrant gathering places. We’ve worked hard to make Staunton Books & Tea more than just a retail store; it’s a space for the community to have meaningful conversations over a cup of tea. In fact, indie bookstores across the country have embraced this role. They host book clubs, game nights, open mics, author talks, kids’ story hours - you name it.

“The key to independent bookstores’ growth in the digital era has been their strong and deep ties to neighbors. Independent bookstores are seen as authentic members of the community who have been active, in many neighborhoods, for decades and multiple generations.”

Harvard Business School, 2020, p. 12

At Staunton Books & Tea, we host an International Book Club every other month, tea tastings and conversations that matter to our community: from panel discussions about immigration, to Staunton’s history in eugenics, to forest bathing. Just earlier this month, I stood behind the register as book club attendees spilled into the store on a freezing December night, some chatting in Russian, others in English, ordering a hot cup of tea while browsing the freshly restocked shelves and catching up. It was the night we discussed “Day of the Oprichnik” by Vladimir Sorokin. Some attendees had been born and raised in Russia, others had worked or visited, yet others had never been. Across cultures, we discussed the realities and parallels of this literary work and found common ground in our differences. As one attendee shared at the end, “You’ve given me an opportunity to understand something I didn’t know much about. It’s such a gift to inform my view of the world and my country.”

Community Space

A hub for connection: Today’s independent bookstores double as community gathering spaces. Many host hundreds of events annually – book clubs, children’s story times, open mic nights – turning the shop into a lively town square for dialogue and fun [9]. You don’t just shop at an indie bookstore; you participate in a community.
Neighborhood anchors: Indie bookstores build deep, personal relationships with their patrons. They often span generations in a town, earning trust as an integral part of the neighborhood [10]. In an age of impersonal online shopping, these stores offer a human touch, a place where the staff know your name and neighbors can bump into each other.
Community over convenience: Amazon might deliver a book to your door, but it can’t deliver a sense of community. By choosing local bookstores, readers get more than a transaction – they get camaraderie, conversation, and a shared space that enriches everyone’s lives.

Why Shopping Local Matters for Staunton: Fueling Local Prosperity

Choosing to buy your holiday gifts at a local bookstore isn’t just a nice gesture; it’s a decision with real impact. Dollars spent at independent businesses like Staunton Books & Tea stay in the local economy to a far greater degree than money spent at big online retailers. In fact, about $68 of every $100 you spend at a local shop stays in the community, supporting local jobs, local suppliers, and city services [11]. Compare that to the few dollars that return when you order from an out-of-town online giant.

This “local multiplier” effect means that your purchase helps pay a staff member’s wages, which they might spend at another local business, and it helps us pay local vendors, taxes, and even make local charitable donations (small businesses make up to 136% more charitable donations per employee than businesses with 500-or-more employees [12]). It’s a virtuous cycle that strengthens the whole community.

Beyond the dollars and cents, shopping at an indie bookstore keeps our town’s character and culture alive. Having a vibrant, walkable downtown with unique shops sets our main street apart and makes it a destination. Staunton thrives when visitors stroll Beverley Street to browse charming bookstores and cafes – and locals feel proud of a downtown that isn’t just a copy of everywhere else. Each independent business adds to that special sense of place. If we lose local bookstores and other independently owned shops, we lose some of what makes Staunton Staunton.

When you spend your dollars locally, you’re investing in the personality and vitality of our community. You help ensure there are places for neighbors to bump into each other, for authors to sign books and inspire young readers, and for local kids to discover the joy of reading.

Lastly, let’s talk about the sheer joy factor.

Holiday shopping can feel like a chore if it’s just online browsing or fighting crowds at a big-box store. But at a local bookstore, holiday shopping can be magical. We’ve got the shop decorated in twinkling lights and garland. We’re hosting a tea tasting and our first cozy poetry night. You can chat with us about finding the perfect book for that hard-to-shop-for uncle, or pick out a lovely tea blend to go with the novel you’re gifting your best friend (we have book & tea pairings!).

It’s as much about the experience as the transaction. That experience is something we cherish and aim to nurture, year after year.

And it doesn’e end there. Once the holidays are over, and there’s little to do in our charming small town covered in snow, we are hosting events to lure locals downtown: Join us for a night with Staunton theater companies (save the date: January 20th, 7 p.m.!), for our international book club (Save the date: February 4th!) and other events for our local community.

Economic Impact

A resurgence against the odds: Independent bookstores have experienced a nearly 50% growth in stores nationwide (from ~1,650 in 2009 to 2,524 in 2019) [13]. This stunning rebound brings income and foot traffic back to Main Street, proving that communities can thrive by supporting their local shops.
Boosting the local economy: Local bookstores recirculate money in the community instead of sending it off to a corporate headquarters in a major city or even abroad. Every book purchased at a neighborhood bookstore is an investment in local economic welfare.
The holiday season and beyond: For all independently owned businesses in small towns, the holiday season has to generate enough business to carry us through the winter months until tourists return. So your dollar goes toward keeping the lights on when few people venture downtown or spend money after Christmas.

A Warm (and Urgent) Invitation

All these benefits – the economic boost, the community space, the cultural vibrancy – hinge on one thing: you, our supporters. Independent bookstores have staged a comeback because book lovers and neighbors decided these places matter. But the truth is, our survival is an ongoing story, not a guaranteed ending. We operate on thin margins; we feel it every time a customer takes a picture of a book to then purchase it online, or each time a local customer is wooed away by a free shipping deal.

This is why we speak from the heart when we say: we need your support. As author (and bookstore owner) Ann Patchett put it, “If what a bookstore offers matters to you, then shop at a bookstore… This is how we change the world: we grab hold of it. We change ourselves.” [14]

In other words, every purchase is a vote for the kind of world – and the kind of town – you want to live in. When you choose to buy local, you’re voting for a thriving Staunton, one where cozy bookstores and cafes continue to exist for the next generation.

So this is our invitation to you: come visit Staunton Books & Tea this holiday season. Browse our shelves with a hot cup of tea in hand. Share your favorite book memories with us. Stop in during one of Staunton’s holiday event nights just to soak up the atmosphere and say hello. Whether you need a particular book or just a dose of holiday cheer, we promise you a warm welcome. Our knowledgeable staff is ready with personal recommendations, and we’ll even wrap your gifts with a smile.

Not local? No worries! You can still support us from a distance:

Shop online via Bookshop.org: If you select Staunton Books & Tea as your Bookshop to Support, we receive a percentage of the sale!
Sign up for our newsletter: We’ll let you know about our latest tea menu, upcoming events (to plan your next visit!?) and our favorite books! It’s almost as good as visiting us in person!
Buy a giftcard for the booklovers in your life!