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Derwent Bookshop in Cumbria has become the latest independent bookshop to signal its closure, blaming competition from other vendors, the existence of e-books and internet bookselling for its demise. The Workington-based shop, which has been running since 1978, will close in a month’s time.
The bookshop announced its closure on Twitter yesterday, saying: "With great sadness I announce the Derwent Bookshop will be closing due to supermarkets, bargain shops, discounting, ebooks and the interweb." John Bailey has owned it for the last 10 years.
It is the third independent bookshop to announce its closure in a week, with The Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill due to shut up shop in two weeks’ time and The Harbour Bookshop in Dartmouth set to close at the end of September.
Ann Taylor, who has worked at Derwent Bookshop for 26 years, said the store’s closure was "heartbreaking". She said: "I started working here from school and have been here ever since. I have never wanted to do anything else—this is my life. Once I worked with books it got into my blood and I couldn’t get it out of my system. I don’t know what I am going to do now, jobs are very scarce."
Bailey could not be contacted for comment.