The bookshop today and tomorrow

The British bookshop chain Foyles, to mark the 110th anniversary of its founding and the relocation of its flagship store (which is to be built from scratch), has for some time now been initiating a discussion on the role of the bookshop in our times. Under the general title “Future Foyles”, the chain is organising a series of workshops and meetings with industry professionals (publishers, authors, booksellers, agents) with the aim of fostering a fruitful dialogue on the future of bookshops and their role. McNally Jackson bookshop in New York. The timing of this dialogue is no coincidence. Bookshops in America and England are seeing their sales decline steadily and their customers turning increasingly to the all-powerful Amazon for their purchases.  In July 2011, the American bookshop chain Borders closed its branches following financial difficulties and fruitless discussions with investors, whilst Barnes & Noble is facing similar problems, especially following the announcement of low sales of the Nook e-reader. Let us not forget that all the major bookshops abroad have embraced ebooks and offer their customers a wide variety through their websites.The debate has now spread from the boards of these companies to magazines, blogs and the readers themselves. The suggestions are numerous and creative: bookshops with cafés, bookshops with restaurants, bookshops that become spaces for meeting and discussion. The question that needs answering is always the same: How will a bookshop attract customers and how will it manage to offer a unique experience that no online store can? Certainly not, however, in the way suggested by the director of the publishing house HarperCollins: that the customer should pay an entrance fee to the bookshop (the cost of which would be deducted from any purchases) The Housing Works bookshop was chosen by this couple for their wedding. Source: A bookshop’s competitive advantage is certainly not its prices, especially when competitors are selling at zero profit or at a loss. The bookshop relies on its specialist staff, the physical contact with the books and the opportunity to leaf through them. It also relies on the recommendations and selection of titles it promotes, which often give the bookshop its character.In Greece, over the last two to three years, we have seen developments similar to those abroad. Some bookshop chains are shrinking, whilst others are expanding. Some bookshops are investing in creating a cultural space that embraces books with a host of events, whilst others are banking on special offers and attractive prices.In 2012, we saw the first concept bookshop open its doors: the Free Thinking Zone on Skoufa Street. A unique space, with themed evenings and carefully selected books, it serves coffee and drinks and has already become a meeting place in the city.How do you imagine the bookshop of the future, and what would you like it to offer? Are bookshops a place for coffee, or do you prefer a space that focuses entirely on books and a well-stocked selection? We’d love to hear your views.