Bookshop.org hits £3m profit for indie bookshops and plans for major sales growth

Bookshop.org has announced it has generated £3m in profit since its launch for the 570 independent bookshops using the platform, and is setting a goal to increase online sales for indies five times by 2028.

Nicole Vanderbilt, managing director of Bookshop.org UK, told The Bookseller: “Our goal is to help indie bookshops thrive in the age of e-commerce. In order to do this, we need to develop and expand our own platform, help booksellers translate their in-shop strengths to online sales, and build more partnerships and links."

The company is working to make daily improvements to its website, in order to make purchases easier for customers and increase sales, Vanderbilt added. "It’s difficult for most indies to invest this kind of resource into their own e-commerce capabilities," she said. "Building a common platform from which over 570 of them are benefiting means these investments are possible."

Technology development will also be important as the platform branches into the audio and e-book markets. In this new move, Bookshop.org will apply the same business model as its physical book sales; independent bookshops will be able to keep the full profit margin of any e-books or audiobooks they sell, while all other sales will generate 10% for the profit pool.

But Vanderbilt said she didn’t believe growth only had to come from the Bookshop.org platform itself, adding: "We are keen to provide ongoing support and education for booksellers to develop their digital skills."

A survey from the Booksellers Association (BA) found that for independent bookshops in the UK, online sales make up a total of 7% of their overall revenue. Over half of those surveyed reported that they are either somewhat or very dissatisfied with their online business, expressing aspiration to grow their online sales by over 20% in the next year alone.

The main obstacles that indies said are preventing them from doing more online business are lack of time and knowledge. Over the next five years, Bookshop.org’s goal is to help the indies grow their online sales via direct sales on the platform and helping build the booksellers’ online skills and confidence.

Vanderbilt said: “As 60% of books are currently bought online, independent bookshops should aim to see a larger proportion of their books also bought online. We want to help them be competitive in the world of ecommerce, translating their knowledge, passion and creativity to the online world, and freeing them of the logistics of online book order taking and delivery." She expanded her views in a comment piece for The Bookseller, ’Indies must be more ambitious online.’

The company is also seeking to build new partnerships and further develop existing ones. "We are here for conversations with anyone who wants to learn how we can do more together," the m.d. said.

Sheryl Shurville, co-owner of the Chorleywood and Gerrards Cross Bookshops, commented: “One of our main aims is for our Bookshop.org shop fronts to be the first port-of-call for readers wishing to shop online, connecting us with customers beyond the physical reach of our bricks-and-mortar shops. With this in mind, we anticipate doubling our online sales in the next three years.”