Why independent bookstores will always be the heart of Canada’s literary scene

By Eunice V. Soriano

The rising cost of books has put pressure on indie bookstores across Toronto’s literary scene. But their resiliency has helped them rise above.  

The price paid by Canadians for books has increased by 14 per cent for hardcovers and 16 per cent for paperbacks from 2019 to 2023, making readers spend less money on books. 

Glad Day Bookshop’s events and social outreach coordinator Tianna Henry says it’s been difficult to sustain their business amidst inflation. 

“I think we’re just trying to survive. We launched an emergency fundraiser back in May to get the word out that we are indeed struggling. We certainly are feeling the pressures of all of our rising costs,” she said. 

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) economics professor Nicholas Li says “indie bookstores likely charge a higher margin per book (the difference between what they pay and what they charge) because of their smaller scale,” in an emailed statement to CanCulture Magazine. “They don’t sell as high a volume and they have certain fixed rent/labour costs, so they have to charge a higher margin.” 

Li explained that while indie bookstores might see a higher increase in book costs, they should not be affected as much because of their niche offerings that do not compete with mass retailers. 

But even with these specialty products, 55 per cent of Canadians have stated they would still rather borrow books or read online to save money. 

First-year TMU sociology student Isabelle Chiasson said, “I feel like a lot of people are turning to illegal websites to download books for free, or certain online forums or apps where they can get books for a lot cheaper.” 

In a competitive Toronto market, indie bookstores are constantly looking for creative ways to increase engagement. 

The main solution many are looking at — #BookTok. 

Thom Nyhuus, a bookseller at Flying Books at Neverland, says BookTok, a sub-community for books on TikTok, has helped the store attract an abundance of TikTok-using customers to their Queen Street and College Street locations.

“The BookTok world is huge and very, very active – that has definitely drawn in a lot. A lot of people have come in and said, ‘Oh, we’ve seen the TikToks, and we’re here to pick up the book that you talked about.’ So that’s really cool, a little bit scary, but really cool,” said Nyhuus . 

Their growing TikTok platform has allowed Nyhuus and fellow booksellers at Flying Books at Neverland to collaborate with musicians like Maisie Peters and new films like The Wild Robot and Wicked. 

The fusion of these worlds opens the realms of literature, music and cinema. 

“Indie bookstores approach reading so differently than bigger book chains. It goes back to just what reading represents, and it’s just the love for literature and being lost in these worlds, characters and the art,” said Chiasson. 

As an employee at a popular Canadian book chain, Chiasson believes that the employer-customer relationship in indie bookstores is unparalleled. 

“[Book chains] prioritize a lot of things like money and the market. I feel like indie bookstores truly care about their customers, their consumers and just books in general,” said Chiasson.  

Like Chiasson, Li believes that even with the widespread popularity of big book chains, the authenticity of an independent bookstore is why customers keep coming back. 

“Indie bookstores are resilient to some extent because some people really like the idea of browsing a physical store, getting recommendations from a human in front of them, supporting local business,” Li said. 

Glad Day Bookshop–the oldest queer bookstore in the world–leans on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to keep their shop open. 

“When we were having our censorship battles with the Government of Ontario, it was the community that stepped up and helped us raise legal funds to protect our staff that were being persecuted under the law. It was the community that helped us raise funds to support queer and trans folks that had lost their income due to COVID-19,” said Henry. 

“It’s through our community that we were able to endure all of these obstacles over the years, and it’s through our community that we’re still here,” she said.

Though it may be tempting to rely on the convenience of fast delivery services and big book chains, indie bookstores to many are the heart of literature. And because of the reading community, they want to keep their doors open for as long as they can. 

“Skip Amazon and go to your local bookstore, go to your local craft shop… a little goes a long way.”