Amazon receives 1.6 million orders a day with requests for a variety of products. One of their most  popular products is books: in the context of sales, Amazon is the largest book retailer. The site keeps over 33 million titles avaliable. And sure, Amazon may be incredibly convenient –with the ability to make purchases with one click of a button–but the company is slowly killing independent bookstores and even larger companies like Barnes and Noble. 

Independent Bookstores 

One alternative to shopping at Amazon is your local bookstores. Although Amazon tends to beat out these stores in cost and availability, bookstores still have much to offer. You can find many different deals and bookstore exclusive products. Independent bookstores uplift their authors and allow new writers to put their work out into the world. Barnes and Noble has an extensive online store and usually has many different sales taking place. One of their most popular sales is the buy-one get-one 50% off on hardcovers. Bookstores can also order any book you need, and there are also many online stores (that aren’t Amazon) to order from. 

Online Alternatives

Bookshop.org

This online bookstore works to financially support local bookstores. To purchase a book from this site, you can either select a specific bookstore in your area to donate a portion of your purchase to, or Bookshop.org will place their profit in a sharing pool that helps support all bookstores. The order is then fulfilled directly by Bookshop.org’s distribution center. You will be provided with a tracking number, and if there is any need for returns, their customer service is on standby for any assistance necessary. Since 2020, Bookshop.org has raised over 24 million dollars for independent bookstores. 

Another appeal of Bookshop.org is they donate their profits directly to over 1,600 bookstores. Over 80% of this profit is donated to the bookstores. It is also written in their governance documents that they are not allowed to sell the company to Amazon or any other major U.S retailer. 

Currently, Bookshop.org only ships to the US, but they do have websites for both the U.K. and Spain, with each website shipping to the U.K. and Spain, respectively. Overall, Bookshop.org is an excellent alternative to Amazon. It may be slightly more expensive, but it is reassuring to know your money is going directly to support local bookstores in need.  

IndieBound

IndieBound is similar to Bookshop.org in the sense that it connects readers with local bookstores in their area. Instead of donating the profits to the stores, IndieBound allows the reader to order books directly from their local bookstores. You can search for bookstores in your area, and IndieBound will allow you to purchase through the store’s website.

Indiebound also encourages readers to become more environmentally conscious. By buying local, the consumer is using less packaging and the product is spending less time being transported. Also, by shopping local businesses, more money is being given back to the community rather than large companies’ infrastructure or maintenance. IndieBound supplies readers with recommendations, as well. It also promotes a relationship between reader and author. Showing authors’ dedication and commitment to indie bookstores.   

Local Independent Bookstores 

Here are some local alternatives (in and around Boston) to shopping at Amazon. 

• Trident Booksellers and Cafe: 338 Newbury Street, Boston
• Brattle Book Shop: 9 West St., Boston 
• Harvard Book Store: 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge 
• Porter Square Books: 25 White St., Cambridge 
• Frugal Bookstore: 57 Warren St., Boston 
• Papercuts Bookshop: 60 South St., Boston 
• Jabberwocky Bookshop: 50 Water St #22, Newburyport 
• Andover Bookstore: 74 Main St., Andover 
• Wicked Good Books: 215 Essex St., Salem 

There are many alternatives to shopping at Amazon for books. It is important to uplift our local establishments to prevent the complete destruction of independent bookstores. Many local stores donate to various charities and have all different kinds of events and activities that take place at their stores. They create a space for people with shared interests to come together. Independent bookstores create community. Not only that, independent bookstores provide access to books for people who may not have the ability to shop from Amazon. If independent bookstores go out of business, we will lose an integral part of our community. Places like Barnes and Noble need to be uplifted as well. Amazon must be avoided when it comes to the purchasing of books. 

Protect our local bookstores!