Bookstores :: Bookmarks Bookshop

I guess the struggle of independent bookstores is very much the same no matter which side of the pond they are on.

Bookmarks bookshop battles the giants with solidarity appeal.

“Independent bookstores in central London are being hit by two things – the property boom that is driving up rents, and developments in the book trade aimed at chasing profits,” says Mark Thomas, manager of Bookmarks.

This situation was highlighted last week by the announcement that Gay’s The Word, Britain’s last surviving specialist lesbian and gay bookshop, faces closure unless it raises enough cash to pay its soaring rent bill.

High streets across Britain are becoming more homogenous, says Mark, with ever larger retail chains dominating the market and driving out smaller independent competitors.”