The Bookseller.com

20th July 2008

Simon Key has worked in bookselling since leaving school at 16. Formerly a Waterstone's bookseller, he will open an independent bookshop in Wood Green in 2008, along with his former boss Tim West. He blogs at woodgreenbookshop.blogspot.com.

Don't Pan-ic

19.11.07

After last week's news that the Pan Bookshop was closing after 32 years trading in Fulham Road, was followed by the inevitable comments from on high—'. . . tough market conditions . . . blah blah blah . . . decline in overall trading in Independent bookshop . . . blah blah blah . . . haven't had the margins to compete . . . blah blah blah'—you would have thought there'd be a general throwing up of arms and gnashing of teeth among other bookshops. Not so . . .

I, for one (and I'm certainly not the only one) think the decision to close is awful. It wasn't the word I used on our blog, but it'll do. It's lazy, uninspiring, short sighted and plain wrong. Lazy, because it seems like the kind of thing a spoilt child would do to a toy they get bored of. Uninspiring, because despite claims that many options to keep the store open have been explored, doing a 3 for 2, having a sale or having author signings really doesn't seem to be anything striking. Short sighted, because there is quite clearly a huge market, which for whatever reason they've been unable to capture. And plain wrong, because I'm sure that given a little more freedom and inspiration, the shop could have thrived in this cash rich area.

I always wondered how independent the shop was, but now there's a real opportunity for some wise entrepreneur or two to open their own truly independent bookshop in a site nearby, where the rents are less obscene, and be able to reignite the thirst for books in the area. It should be even more tempting, after the dreadful news that the first ever Waterstone's to open in Old Brompton Road is also closing.

So, for what it's worth, here's my advice. Start a petition for a decent bookshop, get in touch with the local press, organise a demonstration, check out the shop's P and L, find a site, start a blog and take the plunge. Think of all those celebs you could get to the launch. It's not Wood Green, but you can't have everything.