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Original poster

Help me build a bookshop...

92 replies

Arlanymor · 16/12/2025 20:19

Say you were going to be made redundant in two years. And say you are at the midpoint in your career. And say maybe it's kind of now or never to really commit to your own business... and that business is an independent bookshop.

What would you like to see? What would make it stand apart? Other than bookshop obvious things... like the sales of books! Author events/signings/etc.

Early ideas:

  • Monthly book prescription/subscription service
  • Friday/Saturday later opening with a 'quiet wine' space (for those who don't want to read books in pubs) - or can be beer, just doesn't rhyme...
  • Community room to be booked for DnD, Stitch and Bitch, etc. low rates
  • Monthly book session - not a book club, but more of a thematic thing, like: The line in literature that stuck with you the most - so people can share their own preferences and not have to read the same thing every month
  • Collaboration with local city farm
  • Read and Relax - book and spa experience

No idea too 'out there'... they wanted to open up a cat café in my city not so long ago but I am so unsure about the ethics of that and would want to take them all home to my flat at the end of the day anyway... not practical.

OP posts:
Crispynoodle · 16/12/2025 22:38

Games! A place for young adults to play games whether that be D&D or monopoly a this sort of shop has recently opened near us a great idea and I love the idea of renting out to those teaching hobbies

Crispynoodle · 16/12/2025 22:39

Oh! And toy library and tool library a men’s shed where they can fix stuff

UserNom · 16/12/2025 22:39

Friday/Saturday later opening with a 'quiet wine' space (for those who don't want to read books in pubs) - or can be beer, just doesn't rhyme...

Are you selling the wine and beer? In which case, your premises needs a licence. As do you.

And, selling wine and beer means - you have to stock a range of them. And you need glasses. And you need somewhere to wash the glasses. And store the glasses. And store the wine and beer. And keep them chilled. And deal with drunk people.

Even aside from the other mad ideas ( collab with local city farm?!) I don't think you've thought this through.

UserNom · 16/12/2025 22:40

Crispynoodle · 16/12/2025 22:39

Oh! And toy library and tool library a men’s shed where they can fix stuff

None of which sells books.

UserNom · 16/12/2025 22:40

Crispynoodle · 16/12/2025 22:38

Games! A place for young adults to play games whether that be D&D or monopoly a this sort of shop has recently opened near us a great idea and I love the idea of renting out to those teaching hobbies

Notabookshop

Crunched · 16/12/2025 22:42

Look at The Book Brewery in Ambleside. It is a slice of heaven on earth and incorporates many things mentioned here.

willstarttomorrow · 16/12/2025 22:46

Honestly, it has all been done. So many people have a dream of running a book shop/cafe/community space but the ship sailed about 15 years ago. In fiction it works, in reality most are just hobby/vanity projects.

Ineffable23 · 16/12/2025 22:46

JennyChawleigh · 16/12/2025 22:32

"I would want a source of coffee and water, and this would be an income stream - not necessarily even a cafe, a good high quality vending machine would be fine (they do exist - not the kind you get in unattended locations but the kind with china mugs...).
Although I dislike the subscription idea, I might not be wholly opposed to a small membership fee to access extended hours for sitting and reading and unlimited coffee/ water (hot and soft drinks) - a bit like a gym membership... There'd need to be toilet facilities if people are staying a while (could be accessed with membership card and other customers ask staff for the code...)."

Come to Leeds - there is a private subscription library which has all of the above!

We also have a subscription library in Ipswich. Ancient (knackered) leather topped tables, vaulted ceiling, loads of books and every magazine I have any desire to read, and all the papers. And a cafe. It's heaven.

thatsthatsaidthemayor · 16/12/2025 22:47

I’d like a self mental health book group. Others could be history. Local history. List is limitless.

gmgnts · 16/12/2025 22:48

I generally only buy second hand books, so I'd be looking for the majority of the books in the shop to be pre-loved. I also like a big local history section - these are always popular.

Whatwouldnanado · 16/12/2025 22:49

How much start up capital do you have? Are you renting your premises or do you own a shop already? Which supplier are you going to use?
I would suggest getting to know your community, get the basics in but also stuff that serves pockets of local interest and offer promotional events around that. I would forget encouraging people to doss about on sofas spilling coffee. A good speedy ordering service, loyalty cards for kids and grown ups with holder events should help draw people away from Amazon.

UserNom · 16/12/2025 22:51

Whatwouldnanado · 16/12/2025 22:49

How much start up capital do you have? Are you renting your premises or do you own a shop already? Which supplier are you going to use?
I would suggest getting to know your community, get the basics in but also stuff that serves pockets of local interest and offer promotional events around that. I would forget encouraging people to doss about on sofas spilling coffee. A good speedy ordering service, loyalty cards for kids and grown ups with holder events should help draw people away from Amazon.

Yeah, I think we know where the OP is coming from here, and it is not running a business 😆

What would you like to see? What would make it stand apart? Other than bookshop obvious things... like the sales of books!

parietal · 16/12/2025 22:58

if you have a 'community space' that you rent out to DnD groups etc at the weekend, you could also rent desks to people who wfh during the week. Renting out desks with decent wifi and coffee can be a source of income in many towns.

Look at the competition in your area - are you aiming to sell to tourists or locals? to parents of kids or older people or what?

if parents of kids, then sell a few kids toys / stationary / jigsaws as well as the books. and gift-wrap bags and cards. purchases along the lines of 'i need a present quickly to take to Lucy's 8th birthday party' were a big part of my spending in bookshops for years.

HaveYouFedTheFish · 17/12/2025 05:40

Ineffable23 · 16/12/2025 22:46

We also have a subscription library in Ipswich. Ancient (knackered) leather topped tables, vaulted ceiling, loads of books and every magazine I have any desire to read, and all the papers. And a cafe. It's heaven.

Show quote history

Oh that sounds really nice!

HaveYouFedTheFish · 17/12/2025 05:43

JennyChawleigh · 16/12/2025 22:32

"I would want a source of coffee and water, and this would be an income stream - not necessarily even a cafe, a good high quality vending machine would be fine (they do exist - not the kind you get in unattended locations but the kind with china mugs...).
Although I dislike the subscription idea, I might not be wholly opposed to a small membership fee to access extended hours for sitting and reading and unlimited coffee/ water (hot and soft drinks) - a bit like a gym membership... There'd need to be toilet facilities if people are staying a while (could be accessed with membership card and other customers ask staff for the code...)."

Come to Leeds - there is a private subscription library which has all of the above!

Wow - I'm pleased and surprised to hear this concept actually exists and runs!

Cybiil · 17/12/2025 05:59

I buy a lot of books and would love to support local book shops, but the books unfortunately are always more expensive than what I can get online so I don’t. I wonder how much your books would cost.

HollyGolightly4 · 17/12/2025 06:06

willstarttomorrow · 16/12/2025 22:46

Honestly, it has all been done. So many people have a dream of running a book shop/cafe/community space but the ship sailed about 15 years ago. In fiction it works, in reality most are just hobby/vanity projects.

Take a look at House of Book and Friends in Manchester. They have an excellent model.

sparkleghost · 17/12/2025 06:15

The quiet wine & community room ideas sound fab, I’d go for these.

A couple of online independent book shops I buy from seem to get in special editions (clothbound, or foil edges etc) and limited runs of signed copies for new releases. These seem to be specific to the shop as I’ve never seen the same versions at the likes of Amazon, Waterstones etc. Would something like that be feasible? I think it would really draw people in for anticipated releases.

Nopenousername · 17/12/2025 06:28

I will preface this by saying I love reading and read over 80 books this year. There are loads of great ideas but how high would the margins need to be if you were to offer any of them? I think the future are digital books, pretty much every book that has been published let’s say in the last 10 years will have been available on kindle for £1.99 or £0.99, you just need to check the deals regularly, I personally check daily as I read daily. I also use my local library and borrow paper copies as well as ebooks and audiobooks to keep the costs down. I don’t collect books as I move house frequently and the boxes containing books are the heaviest so only really go to bookshops to browse or get a book as a gift. I am on booktok and follow quite a few owners of independent bookshops, it really seems like such a dream job for a book lover but I am unsure how feasible is it to own and run a bookshop as a viable business when books are already pricey and there are so many ways to get them cheap or for free and where you need to be able to sell at scale to make a profit.

tangobravo · 17/12/2025 06:38

Morning baby and toddler storytime group

TheTowerAtMidnight · 17/12/2025 06:44

Nopenousername · 17/12/2025 06:28

I will preface this by saying I love reading and read over 80 books this year. There are loads of great ideas but how high would the margins need to be if you were to offer any of them? I think the future are digital books, pretty much every book that has been published let’s say in the last 10 years will have been available on kindle for £1.99 or £0.99, you just need to check the deals regularly, I personally check daily as I read daily. I also use my local library and borrow paper copies as well as ebooks and audiobooks to keep the costs down. I don’t collect books as I move house frequently and the boxes containing books are the heaviest so only really go to bookshops to browse or get a book as a gift. I am on booktok and follow quite a few owners of independent bookshops, it really seems like such a dream job for a book lover but I am unsure how feasible is it to own and run a bookshop as a viable business when books are already pricey and there are so many ways to get them cheap or for free and where you need to be able to sell at scale to make a profit.

I fully agree with this. I read a lot, probably 70% library books and 30% Kindle books. I very rarely buy physical books due to the price and storage issues, so I mainly use bookshops for browsing.

Somersetbaker · 17/12/2025 10:14

Bear in mind a vast number of potential customers will see a book, then order it from Amazon or Abe for less than you paid for it. New and second hand books on niche subjects may make you a "destination", but in the main you still have to match the on-line sellers, for second hand popular fiction you have to match the charity shops who get their stock for free.

eggandonion · 17/12/2025 10:22

For added annoyance people will take photos of your stock and go home to order online. Even if you do your best to price match.

BlueEyedBogWitch · 17/12/2025 10:24

I’ve had two. We about broke even, but in the end it was too much work for too little return. Very much a hobby job.

catin8oot5 · 17/12/2025 10:26

There used to be a lovely poster on here called @nickelbabe who owned a bookshop but I’m not sure if she’s still around