The Resilience of Physical Bookstores

Physical bookstores took a horrible hit with the creation of Amazon (in 1994). It became much quicker, easier, and simpler to buy books online. The number of local bookstores drastically fell, even large retail stores like Barnes and Nobles struggled to keep stores open. In 2009 the number of bookstores was relative to about 1600 (Johnson 2020), but a quick Google search will tell you that the number of bookstores in America is up to over 24,000! What on earth happened?

I've mentioned before the cognitive benefits of reading fiction, but there is another piece to the puzzle as to why books gained popularity so quickly and how they have stayed prominent in our culture. Social, tactile and sensory elements also provide insight into the allure of physical books. These elements create an atmosphere that is unlike any other and can be quite addicting if I do say so myself.

Talking with friends about your favorite books and your responses to them creates a social network that grows and expands. My roommate and I last year traded book recommendations and had a blast either critiquing the books together of gushing over the plot twists and characters. I have since moved and we still send recommendations and No-No books. It is simply fun to share this part of myself with others. When I share books with my brothers they laugh and make fun of me, but when they read them, they send me a book emoji and a thumb emoji to tell me if they liked it or not. Networks create a sense of togetherness that keeps reading conversational and interesting.

The action of going to physical bookstores to purchase books is vastly different than the feeling of purchasing a book on Amazon or Amazon Kindle. The intimacy the stores develop to welcome their customers; the sociality of browsing and seeing other people finding books to enjoy just like you; and the actual purchasing of the book, knowing it is now yours to mark and bend as you please, is all part of the experience that bookstores provide. It is almost clinical to search for a title online; make sure it's the right author and not a random copy; and hit add to cart, or do Apple Pay and have the book appear on your screen. There is no allure to that, it is too simple, too repetitive. In stores the options and colors and different sizes, shapes, and textures of the books all appeal to our senses. The smell of a book, its bibliosmia, assuages a need we rarely remember, but is immediately awakened and starving when we experience it. The sensory and tactile elements are just as important as the social networks we cultivate.

Back to the physical stores: The allure of the physical experience of buying books once again was a novelty. After the online fad, the actual trip became important more so than just buying the book. Many bookstores started to include other items to purchase along with books, to create a comfortable experience at home. Blankets, socks, and merchandise all create a homey feeling. One of the connected articles talks about the Indie-vibes that create that sense of honest comfort for customers. It is also a way to build consumer loyalty that will benefit local bookstores in the long run. In such a materialist society, the rising popularity of books reinforced the need for stores and physical locations for materialistic needs.

The Psychology of the Physical Bookstore Experience | Psychology Today

The Rising Popularity of Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores: An Inside Look | CO- by US Chamber of Commerce