At last, we get a local bookshop. But I fear the writing is on the wall | Emma Brockes

We’re all celebrating this new independent venture. The trouble is, the online possibilities have spoiled customers like us

A new bookshop has opened in my neighbourhood and you would think it was the second coming, the excitement it has caused. A bookshop! Opening! (Obviously, a third of the space is given over to a cafe where the cakes are roughly $2 a bite. But still.) Reports on the death of the bricks‑and‑mortar bookstore have been going on for some time, peaking last year in the US when the chain Book World closed 45 stores and the New York Times predicted “the death of Barnes and Noble is now plausible”. Stores that remain open wear the baffled air of those not entirely sure what their purpose is.

Related: Six ways to be kind to your bookseller this Christmas | Elias Greig

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from US news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EoQW3o