It sounds dramatic but this is how it feels.
After ten years building an award-winning bookshop and surviving the stresses, strains and financial responsibilities of running a small independent business – we felt secure in the knowledge that what we had created was a lifetime achievement; something we had moulded together as husband and wife and business partners – that in itself is something we are hugely proud of.
Our focus as a Bookseller has always been to provide a distinctive shopping experience - one you can't buy online. This was (and is) the key to surviving the decline of the High Street, that was until Covid 19 rendered 'experiential' bookselling obsolete – at least until 'normal life' returns, whenever that will be.
And so this is how it is:
The doors are closed, the machines turned off, the buzz extinguished. No longer do we have an enthusiastic, energetic team to bounce ideas off and interact with. Now it's just the two of us all alone in a shop full of books with no customers to help bring them to life. It all feels a little bit soulless. Drastically reduced book sales, no events, no book clubs, no café. It is a huge loss and one that has left us stunned with the shock of how quickly and brutally things have changed.
In the first few days we were in 'fight' mode – reinventing and reshaping our business everyday but our options became more and more limited as our supply chain struggled to cope. Both our wholesalers closed – although one re-opened providing a home delivery service and has now thankfully started delivering to bookshops again.
Our sales in April fell by 75%!
We are still going into the shop each week day, Monday to Friday 10 am to 2 pm, taking orders by telephone and email and processing/dispatching orders from our online shop. In the afternoon, we hit the road with our home delivery service. This is something we have come to look forward to, providing a service to our local community.
Booka Online - Browse our Virtual Bookshelves
We've been working hard to get more of our book stock online, not just our signed copies. You can now browse our virtual bookshelves from the comfort and safety of your home. Hopefully you can find what you are looking for. If not, just contact us and we can order and arrange delivery straight to your door. We'll be adding more stock as new titles are published.
Have a browse: bookabookshop.co.uk
Booka is nothing without all of you – our wonderful customers, many of whom have become friends, supporters and valuable people in our lives.
Please keep supporting us – buy a book online, by email or by phoning the shop, engage with our virtual events as we seek to provide a book lifeline for you during lockdown.
Let's look to the future:
Our attention is now shifting, and we are refocusing to a time when we can restart and slowly begin to recover. With Boris Johnson's statement on Sunday 10th May, it looks as if we might possibly be in a position to be able to reopen at the beginning of June. We are taking all necessary steps to be ready to reopen when and if it is safe to do so.
Booka does not exist without you – you are our lifeblood and we value your custom and the personality you bring to our space. Your support has helped us build a bookshop for the town to be proud of. We will need you more than ever to help us recover.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Booka!
