We are extremely privileged to have our offices based in Primrose Hill, where independent shops (we have three fashion stores), restaurants and cafes take pride of place on our high street, so much so that there’s a strong local lobbying group that fights to keep the high street independent. It is a hub of creativity, with some businesses starting right here, on our doorstep, and continuing to grow, like OKA, a Pan-Asian ‘hole-in-the-wall’ world class restaurant which now has six sites across London, and is continuing to grow and flourish.
One of my favourites of these independent shops is Primrose Hill Books, a family-owned neighbourhood bookshop, which was established nearly 40 years ago, and was a bookshop even before Jessica, the current owner, took over. Situated in a Victorian terrace and just a two-minute walk from the famous park, it boasts a diverse collection of new and second-hand books, including a large, dedicated children’s section, and unique books that may be difficult to find elsewhere.
Through Primrose Hill Books, Jessica, and her knowledgeable team are fostering a vibrant literary community. I, for one, virtually only read books that Jessica recommends to me. I am supposed to buy one at a time, but sometimes I cannot resist having a wander in at lunchtime and, instead, pick up two or three more. This is partly because I know and trust the recommendations of the team, and, in return, they know me. In fact, through the books I read, Jessica probably knows me better than most. It’s a collaborative and rewarding experience.
Nine years ago, independent bookstores were at an all-time low – there were just 867 in the UK and Ireland – mimicking the decline of independent grocers, haberdashery stores and fashion boutiques that continues to this day. However, at the end of 2024, the Booksellers Association reported that there were 1,052 independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland, a significant increase compared to 2016.
“People like one-on-one contact and that’s how independent bookshops survive”
To learn more about what it is like to run an independent bookshop in London today, I ambled down to Primrose Hill Books in the glorious sunshine to hear Jessica’s insight. Just as I had imagined, she told me that one of the USPs of selling from a physical store is being able to form a relationship with your customer base. She says: “You get to know people’s emotional interests and that then means you can recommend books that you think will chime with something in their lives.
“The personal element makes a difference.”
The uptick of physical stores is encouraging, but online marketplaces are still creating difficulties, especially as high street shops have to pay business rates, whilst Amazon, for example, was only obliged to pay corporation tax for the first time last year, meaning it can offer lower prices. “I have lost at least a third of my customers to Amazon,” Jessica tells me. “I see people come in, take photographs of the books and then go and buy them online which can be very disheartening for the difference of a pound or two. Sometimes they even ask for advice without buying the book from the shop.”
To counteract this challenge, many bookshops have branched out into other areas to support their businesses. Shops outside of London that have more space have opened cafes in their stores, and many bookshops across the UK and Ireland have continued to host author events and launches which remain popular. In Primrose Hill Books’ case, the aim was to find ways to sell books that didn’t involve needing to come into the shop. Jessica says this involves going into schools, selling books at events and hosting online book clubs, which has turned out to be its most successful project.
As someone who doesn’t use e-readers myself, I have had many people swear by them, explaining to me how easy it is for them to travel with their books loaded up on their device. So, I found it interesting that recent data suggests that people who read do generally prefer buying a physical book over an e-reader, despite Amazon showing a 30% increase in Kindle sales year-on-year in its Q4 earnings report. In a survey published in March, YouGov found that 61% of respondents still preferred buying physical books, while only 24% favoured an e-reader.
Just as there appears to a be a magic in physical books, there is also a magic that is built into bookshops. Jessica explains that this is partly to do with books being beautiful, but it is also partly to do with the passion of people who work there. “People like one-on-one contact and that’s how independent bookshops survive,” she says.
“As long as you have personal enthusiasm and joy in books, and as long as you have that tactile element, then people will engage with you.”
This is my experience of only buying my next read from Primrose Hill Books. Reading allows me to experience the imagination of others, and I find there is little better than the pleasure of falling into the pages of a book. The experience of going to Primrose Hill Books, speaking to Jessica and going home with at least one new read (but normally more) only adds to my enjoyment. The connection, interaction and knowledge that an independent bookshop offers is something to be cherished, so going forward, my only hope is that independent shops see their doors continue to open, communities continue to form and that more people who love to read open up bookshops on their local highstreets.
Jessica recommends
New launches and worthwhile reads across fiction and non-fiction as recommended by Jessica.
Do you have thoughts or book recommendations? I’d love to hear them!
