Retail / news
Bookshop.org pivots to post-pandemic survival, finds new footing
After riding a pandemic tailwind, the e-commerce platform for independent bookstores has reinvented its business model to thrive as consumer habits normalised.
Bookshop.org launched in January 2020 with the mission to steer book sales away from Amazon and channel profits to local independent bookstores. Founder and CEO Andy Hunter saw independent bookstores as vital community hubs, comparing them to coral reefs for their outsized cultural impact.
Two months after launch, the pandemic shut down physical stores, and Bookshop.org became a lifeline. The company had raised only $750,000 of its $1.2 million goal — enough for eight months of runway — but the sudden shift to online shopping propelled it forward.
Once pandemic restrictions lifted, the platform faced the challenge of retaining customers who had returned to in-store shopping. Hunter and his team had to reinvent the service to stay relevant, focusing on long-term value beyond the crisis.
Amazon's dominance loomed large: the House Judiciary Committee in 2020 found Amazon controlled over 50% of the print book market and more than 80% of e-books. Leaked documents reported by Business Insider in 2024 showed Amazon's book category gross merchandise sales reached $16.9 billion in the first 10 months of 2022.
Bookshop.org's reinvention involved deepening partnerships with bookstores and enhancing its platform to compete on service and community, not just price. The effort has paid off, with the platform continuing to grow even as the pandemic tailwind faded.