A New Chapter: Bookworms crawl back to Canada’s independent bookstores
Independent bookstores are enjoying a new chapter across the country as the market shifts from big box bookstores back to quaint and niche neighbourhood shops.
The revival is putting the focus back on the little things that make the book-buying experience so special to avid readers and bookstore lovers.
Writer and publisher Michael Hingston noticed there was something missing from the Edmonton literary scene, which led him to open Porch Light Books in November.
“That point of contact between the reader — you write something, you publish something, you put it out in the world and you don’t really hear back from people a lot of the time,” Hingston says of his motivation.
“There’s some… surprise about a bookstore making it in these times but I really think the pendulum swung too far the other way,” Hingston explains. “We lost a lot of great shops, and a lot of people are reconnecting with an in-person shopping experience.”
So far, the shop is already proving popular with Edmontonians and Hingston says they’ve welcomed a lot of foot traffic and passersby coming into the store — especially with children.
“Our kid section on the new side has doubled immediately,” he adds.
Meanwhile, another niche bookstore specializing in the romance genre is also finding success across the city, even drawing visitors from far and wide.
“We’ve had people come from Europe to come see the store, we’ve had people come from the States,” says Book Boudoir owner Kelsey Orlecki. “It’s more of a global thing. That’s what I love about the romance genre — the reach is everywhere with it.”
Orlecki opened the store to fill what she thought was a void for the popular genre, and if her opening day success was any indication, she may have hit the mark.
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