In the past year alone, at least 13 independent bookshops have closed in Australia. Some have operated for decades. Perth’s Boffins Books recently announced it would close after 37 years, citing rising costs and “shifting CBD dynamics”. In February, Thesaurus Booksellers in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton closed after nearly 50 years, citing rising rent and operating costs. And late last year, The Bookshop in Sydney’s Darlinghurst closed due to “financial pressures”, after 43 years.
In the decade from 2013 to 2023, the number of Australian bookshops roughly halved: from 2,879 to 1,457 – and continues to decline. Overall financial pressure is one reason. Competition from discount department stores, such as Kmart and Big W, as well as online giants such as Amazon, is another. Local bookshops account for fewer than half of print books sold in Australia each year, the Australian Booksellers Association reported in its submission to Australia’s National Cultural Policy last month.
