April 26 is Independent Bookstore Day , an annual tradition organize by the American Booksellers Association that is enter its twelfth year and has direct place on the net Saturday of April since its conception . And , would n’t you know it , Amazon just so happens to behostingits second annual volume sale ( two being less than 12 , if you ’re preserve count ) from April 23 through the 28th , encompassing the day that has been claim by local shop across the country .
If you are tempted to give Amazon a pass here for peradventure accidentally encroaching upon their competitors ’ space — and if you are , bless your odorous pureness — it ’s perhaps worth note that theirfirst liberal book cut-rate sale event in 2024took place from May 16 through the 20th , notably a few weeks after Independent Bookstore Day . So , to whatever extent something you ’ve done for on the button one twelvemonth can be called a tradition , the company has already broken that in favor of squeezing indie booksellers .
( In astatement to Variety , Amazon said , “ The overlap was unintentional . The dates for our sales agreement were set this yr to accommodate additional participating countries . ” Take that with as many grains of salinity as you hold necessary . )
A man waits outside a book store that displays anti-Amazon messages.© NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
You could just say that Amazon is going back to its source . After all , the companygot its start selling books at a lossto undercut the prices of brick - and - trench mortar competitors , until it crusade them to the brink of bankruptcy . Then , as if to dance on their graves , itstarted openingup its own physical bookstall locations ( which it eventually shutter without much fanfare because itnever really cared about the productitself ) . Now that indie bookseller have find a way to carve out a recess , the party attend like it ’d wish to get back in the business of cave them .
The indie , understandably , are n’t thrilled . More than 1,600 bookstores , include participants in all 50 state , will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with their local biotic community , but they ’ve also taken a merited moment to side - optic Amazon a fleck . verbalise to Variety , booksellers take shots at the retail giant ’s decisiveness to contain its Christian Bible sale at the same time as their annual event . Andy Hunter , father of Bookshop.org , shout it “ misanthropical , manipulative , and cruel . ” Leah Koch , owner of the Ripped Bodice , in Los Angeles , California , kept it elementary : “ Fuck Jeff Bezos , ” she told Variety . “ May he be very deplorable live alone on the moonshine . ” Ripped Bodicedoes shipdomestically and internationally , by the way , in grammatical case you ’re looking for a new book .
In a fashion , Amazon ’s sale is more little posturing than something that will actually affect the indie . Local Holy Scripture workshop have manage to have a moment , thrivingdespite the increase dominance of Amazon online by create chemical bond with their local community and offering a shopping experience that Amazon ca n’t replicate . They ’ve alsoadapted to the online ecosystemto persist free-enterprise , while Amazon failed to constitute roots with its own brick - and - trench mortar shops .
Remember , you do n’t have to wait for a special Clarence Shepard Day Jr. to see your local bookshop . Go any time , shop around , ask for recommendations . You might be ball over to find that you ’ll get much more out of cull the brains of your local pedant than you will from a recommendation algorithmic rule .
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