It’s been quite a year for booksellers, who have contended with all sorts of obstacles, ranging from Trump administration policies torching supply chains, to corporate decisions regarding publishers that impact booksellers as well. In California, brush fires placed Los Angeles booksellers in harm's way, and B&N initiated the acquisition of the bankrupt Books Inc.

Despite many challenges, booksellers presented a united front: B&N store workers negotiated new contracts, while BIPOC booksellers and their allies spoke truth to power at Winter Institute. Not only that, but more than 1,600 indies across the U.S. celebrated themselves this spring with a ”magical” independent Bookstore Day that made cash registers sing—even though Amazon tried to muscle in on the fun with a huge book sale of its own.

10. B&N Workers Ratify First Union Contracts at NYC Stores

B&N workers at three locations in New York City, including the flagship store on Union Square, ratified their first union contracts, covering approximately 200 workers who are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Their three-year agreements include wage increases, health care coverage, and safety provisions.

9. Bookshop Reports 65% Growth, E-books Add $1 Million in Sales

Bookshop.org, the online bookselling platform with more than 2,500 indie bookstore affiliates, reported this past summer 65% growth year-over-year, and posted $1 million in sales of e-books in the first half of 2025. Andy Hunter, Bookshop’s founder and CEO, also disclosed that e-books currently represent 5% of sales, and that the company is looking into producing its own e-book reading hardware.

8. Canadian Booksellers Unite in Tariff Fight

In what PW's Ed Nawotka noted was “an unusual collaboration,” Canadian booksellers spoke with one voice, requesting that Prime Minister Mark Carney exempt books from the 25% counter-tariffs levied on $125 billion worth of products imported into Canada from the U.S. In a letter sent by Laura Carter, the head of the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association and Heather Reisman, the CEO of Indigo, a Canadian bookstore chain, the two expressed concerns that books by Canadian authors that were printed in the U.S. and distributed from the U.S. would be subject to the additional tariffs. The letter stated that this would have "devastating consequences for Canadian readers, our businesses, and our cultural landscape."

7. ABA Goes into Damage Control After Contentious WI2025 Community Forum

This year’s Winter Institute hosted yet another combative community forum at Winter Institute, where many booksellers once again criticized ABA leadership for not taking a public stance on the harassment faced by booksellers and authors supporting Palestine, while others expressed anger over disparities in the treatment of its members. In response, the ABA issued a statement in its weekly newsletter condemning all attacks on booksellers, including booksellers being targeted for selling books on Palestine and hosting Palestinian authors. While the ABA also sought to clarify bookseller perceptions of double standards in its treatment of members, particularly those participating on panels at its institutes, most of the booksellers that PW's Claire Kirch and Nathalie op de Beeck talked with said that the organization needs to be more transparent.

6. Bookstores Contend with National Guard Presence in Washington, D.C.

Calling Washington, D.C. "under siege from violent crime," President Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard there in August. Their presence, along with that of ICE agents searching for undocumented immigrants, resulting in customers staying away from bookstores in targeted neighborhoods. Sales at indies plummeted to various degrees, with Loyalty Bookstores reporting revenues being down 65%, while Kramers reported a 17% drop. Busboys & Poets, which has three locations in the city and five in the suburbs reported that sales were down about 5% in the District, but up slightly at B&P’s suburban bookstore/restaurants. PW also reported this fall on the response by Chicago booksellers to the presence of federal agents and deployment of National Guard to the Windy City.

5. Brush Fires, Severe Weather Threaten L.A. Bookstores

A perfect storm of brush fires and strong winds swept through Los Angeles in January, wreaking widespread destruction amplified by power outages. Many businesses, including bookstores, closed their doors for days, as people sheltered in place or were evacuated to safety. PW’s three follow-up stories on the fires and their aftermath spotlighted the mutual aid offered by the book world as well as fundraisers organized by the children’s lit community to those impacted and the financial support and other assistance provided by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation and other organizations.

4. B&N Agrees to Acquire Books Inc.

A year after buying Denver’s Tattered Cover bookstores, B&N agreed to acquire Books Inc., California’s oldest independently owned and operated bookseller, for $3.25 million. Books Inc., which was founded in 1851 and currently operates 10 stores around the San Francisco Bay Area, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. If the proposed acquisition receives court approval, B&N will keep nine locations open under the Books Inc. name, closing only the smallest outlet, in San Leandro.

3. Edelweiss Price Hike Roils Industry

A year after software company Valsoft acquired Above the Treeline, the developer of the Edelweiss digital platform that indie booksellers rely on to order inventory, publishers and sales reps are complaining that prohibitive price increases are forcing presses of all sizes, but especially small and university presses, to restrict the number of titles they list on Edelweiss. One small university press told PW that it is now paying more to list 40% of its trade frontlist on Edelweiss than it previously did to list its entire frontlist. ATL CEO John Rubin defended the price hikes by saying that the company wants to implement a standardized pricing structure for a service that over the years has increased in its value to the industry. At the same time, rumors are swirling that other companies, including Ingram, are developing more affordable alternatives. ATL also laid off 15% of its workforce this spring.

2. Independent Publishers Are Fed Up with Barnes & Noble

Indie publishers are complaining that B&N’s latest strategy of focusing more on selling books published by the Big Five, while ignoring their offerings, is having a devastating impact. While B&N CEO James Daunt admitted that the chain has reduced its inventory by 20% and stores are carrying less midlist, he denied in an interview with PW's Jim Millliot that buying decisions are based on the size of the publisher. But indie presses disagree, pointing out that the chain has reduced the number of buyers in its New York City offices, further hindering their midlist titles and sleepers from being considered by overwhelmed buyers.

1. Independent Bookstore Day 2025: ‘Absolute Magic’

More than 1,600 indie bookstores across the U.S. participated in Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 26, although plenty of bookstores kicked off the celebration up to five days early and extended the festivities into Sunday. Despite Amazon holding its own huge book sale that weekend, booksellers reported crowded retail areas and record sales, with customers more vocal than ever about their preference for brick-and-mortar local businesses over online retail conglomerates. More bookstores than ever collaborated on crawls, with passports offering discounts as well as prizes for customers visiting multiple stores. Chicagoland offered the largest crawl for book lovers, with 55 bookstores participating. A number of Chicago booksellers also told PW that IBD marked their biggest single day of sales ever, including the 46-year-old Women & Children First, which pulled in $3,000 in sales within an hour of opening its doors on April 26.