This post comes with a touch of irony, because for me, not seeing the hurdles, or fully understanding the challenges of the book industry, is what made me launch headfirst into my crazy little lockdown idea. Within four months of that first spark, I was a bookstore owner. And also somewhat ironically, one of my biggest lessons has been that selling books is, in many ways, akin to the fast fashion industry. Six years in,  and it’s easy to look back and think about everything I wish I had known, or would have done differently. So if you’re dreaming of opening a bookstore, here are a few things to consider and hopefully my inexperience turned experience can be your gain.

Work in a bookstore

Do work experience. Ask a bookseller for a coffee. Contact your local association. Ask questions and learn how other booksellers are doing it. If you’re planning bricks and mortar, find a store you admire and reach out. Booksellers mentor other booksellers, it’s a done thing. Don’t be shy.

Online vs bricks and mortar are two completely different ball games

Online only bookselling is fast becoming a game of discounting, and it’s becoming tougher to be seen and compete with big retailers. There’s a reason the gold standard for indie bookstores still includes a physical space. Walk in customers, event space, and the magic of browsing in person are a huge part of what people value. But both matter. Don’t build a physical store and ignore your online presence, the strongest bookstores know how to do both, and your online presence will always remain crucial for bringing customers through the door.

Volume matters

Bookselling is a fast-moving, volume-based industry in many ways, which is why I often compare it to fast fashion. Thousands of new books are released each month, trends move quickly, and what’s popular can rise quickly and be replaced just as fast. Margins are slim, stock needs to turn, and selling in volume is key to making it work.

Brand loyalty 

You’re selling a non-exclusive product, one that’s available in many places and often accessible for free. That means your brand and identity, what you stand for, and knowing your target market are incredibly important. Independent booksellers compete on service, not price. If you can nail what you’re offering, loyalty will follow, and customers will choose to come back to you again and again. 

If only Crystal balls existed

This is a uniquely Aotearoa kind of headache. If you’re reading from afar, take comfort, this probably doesn’t apply to you. Our supply chain is ? mail, and without a crystal ball you will get it wrong. You’ll order ten copies of a book that barely moves, and only four of the surprise hit of the month, the one that will now take 4–5 weeks to restock.

Bookselling is humbling like that. Equal parts instinct, experience, and pure guesswork. If you love a never ending logistics puzzle then  

If you’re reading this not because you want to start a bookstore, let this be a gentle reminder to support the booksellers you love. Bookselling is an industry built on passion. Most bookstore owners This is a uniquely Aotearoa kind of headache. If you’re reading from afar, take comfort, this probably doesn’t apply to you. Our supply chain is tricky, and without a crystal ball you will get it wrong. You’ll order ten copies of a book that barely moves, and only four of the surprise hit of the month, the one that will now take 4–5 weeks to restock.

Bookselling is humbling like that. Equal parts instinct, experience, and pure guesswork.

And if you have figured out how to get it right… I’d genuinely love to hear it. on the shop floor themselves, often supported by small teams, working long hours and doing it for the love of it. We care deeply about books, about creating community, about our authors, and about getting good books into readers hands.

Bookselling is an industry built on passion

If you’re reading this not because you want to start a bookstore, let it be a gentle reminder to support the booksellers you love. And if you’re reading this because you do want to open a bookstore, you’ve got this, hurdles exist in every industry, whether you know them before taking the leap or not. You may as well be jumping those hurdles in a job you love.