Online retailers like Amazon, with low prices and wide selection, threaten local
independent bookstores like Skylight Books in Hollywood, Calif.
(Photo by Neila Jamee)

Despite the recession and competition from large chain bookstores, it is online book sellers like Amazon.com that are posing the biggest threat to independent bookstores.

"Vroman's Bookstore has been very resilient in the face of Barnes & Noble and Borders. I can't say that I lose sleep over those two stores as competition. Amazon.com? I absolutely lose sleep. That is ongoing and their market share is growing," said Allison Hill, the president of Vroman's.

According to the Association of American Publishers, U.S. publishers' book sales fell nearly 3 percent last year, earning a total of about $24 billion, down from $25 billion in 2007.

The owners of Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena and Skylight Books in Los Angeles claim the decrease in sales is not only due to the recent economic climate, but because of the growth of online book sales.

Vroman's Bookstore, which has been open for more than 100 years, has seen an 8 percent decrease in sales this year. The shop owners said the Internet contributed to the loss.

"In general terms, book sales have been down. This year has been tough for the industry. Barnes & Noble is down, Borders is down, [and there are] rumors that Borders is closing. These are the big players, and they're struggling. Add to the mix, the number of independent bookstores that have closed. Part of that is the economy. [And] part of that is competition from movies, video games, and the Internet," said Hill.

Joel Sheldon, the owner of Vroman's, said he's lived through the fear of large chain bookstores, but the Internet feels like the biggest challenge of his career.

"You now have different forms of entertainment, the Internet, and all this type of stuff. We're not as immune as we used to be," said Sheldon.

Kerry Slattery, the owner and manager of Skylight Books, said that although the store has had an increase in sales in the past year, she fears the threat of the online medium.

"I used to be more concerned about Barnes & Noble and Borders, but I don't think that's not our competition. Amazon, I would say, is our biggest challenge that all independent bookstores have. And we have online ordering. Same place Amazon does. We order regularly. People can order from our site. But it's such an automatic response [for so many people to] order from Amazon. That's a challenge for us to remind people you can order online from us, too," said Slattery.

Some bookstores have given into the pressure of online sales.

Slattery said Dutton's Brentwood bookstore, which closed last year after 24 years, went out of business because of a combination of factors, including changing technology.

"As far as Dutton's, my understanding is that a lot of the issues had to do with real estate. And I think that's a big problem for a lot of independent businesses. Is that they help make up the neighborhood, and then the neighborhood does well, and the value of property becomes more expensive. And they can no longer afford to have that space," said Slattery. "That combined with the additional very challenging competition from Amazon ... where people may come in and take notes on books and buy it on Amazon."

Both Vroman's and Skylight Books are competing with their online foes by having an online book database. Although they can't beat the prices of Amazon, they use social networking to connect with their patrons in a way big corporations are unable to do.

"We're active on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. We have a blog. We do a lot in that world," said Hill.

Slattery said Skylight has been using the same type of networking.

"We have four to five staff members twittering under our name, and they're even twittering some of our events. If you can't come to event, you get a flavor of it," said Slattery.

Even with the growing power of Amazon, Vroman's is confident it will survive the increasing number of online sales.

"As the industry shifts...and we see more and more digital content and e-books, I think people will still need the experience of a bookstore. Our sales will change; how we achieve those sales will change. But people will still want that sense of community, tradition, and the experience you only find in a bookstore," said Hill.

Sheldon agrees that patrons will continue to shop at their venue.

"People like to be with other people. And that's part of the shopping experience. I think tangible shopping will be with us for a very long time," said Sheldon.

Hill said Vroman's represents a constant for people in a complex, evolving environment.

"That sense of tradition and home in a changing world means something to a lot of people. I think that's why a lot of customers shop with us... we have a customer, Mrs. Kemp, she's 90, who shops here every day since she was 5 years old. Here's this women, we're part of her life history," she said.

Some independent bookstore customers said they choose to shop at smaller bookstores for the sense of nostalgia.

Sylvia Tansey, 85, started coming to Skylight Books when they first opened nearly 12 years ago.

"I think (I come back) because they have a much better selection. Since they opened the second store [located next door]... which has all the newspapers and magazines...this has a much better selection," she said.

She added: "I think the people who work here understand more about their books than people at Barnes & Noble...(and) I think Skylight has a better educated customer. And that's been true since I've known it."

Susan Johnson, who visits Vroman's every time she comes to Southern California, has been going to the bookstore since the 1960s. She said her mother always came to the bookstore to buy books, and the tradition passed on to her.

"I do prefer to support smaller, independent bookstores. It's worth it to me to pay a little bit more in order to keep these bookstores going," she said.