Who am I kidding? I rarely have time (since I had children) to browse in bookshops. But I have read eight eBbooks this year since I got my Kindle, which is more than I read in total in the previous six years. Ideally, I would like to support my local bookshop by buying eBooks from it. But until the industry gets together a coherent and inclusive plan that recognises the contribution of all the players, I can only see continued internecine fighting.

What happens in the US today will happen here tomorrow. We are no more than 12 months behind the US on book retail trends.

A traditional bookshop selling just books has no future outside of those in large cities and destination towns (e.g the visitor trade). This will mean that a large number of existing shops will close within the next couple of years, and I would expect this to include 100/150 Waterstones stores.

A mixed store must have a longer term future, provided that the non-book part of the mix appeals. Examples include properly set up and run cafes (i.e more like Nero than Greasy Spoon!)or stationery/ newsagents (i.e the WH Smith model provided there is no WH Smith in the locality. I know that Mary Portas and her like tend to mock WHS however they are weathering the current recession reasonably well) or gifts. There must be other examples and as always much depends on location.

So listen to what the US publshers are saying, ignore the false optimism of Tim Godfray (who is not always right!)and get reviewing your business plan today. This leaves the most important matter and that is the cost of doing what is necessary. For a properly set up Cafe to go with your books budget for 50/75k depending the current state of your premises.

I love your comment "You can't get sentimental about a digital file."

Ebooks are here to stay but the issue is not what you read its where you get the ebooks. We can't let amazon dominate.

I'm a heavy book buyer and I have no intention of adopting nasty, souless e-books.

this is soooooo true. books are not dead. e books will not replace books, they will suppliment them and run alongside them.

but where people buy there books will not be high street bookshops. they will buy from the cheapest most convenient place, and I am afraid that is supermarkets for New and Amazon for back list.

i value everyone of my customers who comes in and orders and then comes back to collect, but i am afraid they get less and less each month.

schools are getting better deals direct from publishers than i get myself, and schools with credit cards have as many amazon boxes being delivered as publisher boxes.

my lease is up soon, and i am tossing and turning on signing another. not yet losing money, but with 1 staff member and me she got paid this year - i didnt. (but at least not losing as yet)
to sign another lease i have to let my member of staff go and still might end up having no money left tooo.

back to the point -- bookshops are almost dead - Books are NOT

Best. Comment. Yet. This. Year.

But about 70% of the reason I've switched to ebooks is that it's so inconvenient for me to get to a bookshop. The one near the office is useless (Waterstones, but staggeringly poorly stocked), there's only a crappy WHS near my home. It's a minimum 25 min trip each way to a decent bookshop from home and since I have small children, that time is a luxury I can't afford at weekends. So the luxury of a one-click instant purchase and the convenience of the Kindle becomes ever more appealing.

(You may not feel emotionally attached to a digital file, but I've just been given the new Patrick Rothfuss in pbook. I'm dying to read it, but it's 1000 pages long, and weighs about a kilo. I actually can't remember how I'm supposed to deal with such an impractical object.)

Chris, I do not think it would be difficult to set up. It is working in the US of A for Record shops (remember those!) whereby a 'code' is issued on purchase of a LP that enables the purchaser to download the album to their I Pod etc.

Unromantic

One of things I enjoy with my children is taking them to the bookshop - there's something there for both. We are lucky enough to have a largeish town nearby (but still 20-30 minutes to get there) with 2 good bookshops, a Waterstones and a large independent so a visit there is a double win.

But i know everyone's circumstances are different, this might not work for you, it's probably easier as they get older.

(I appreciate what you mean about the Rothfuss, I have it sitting on my shelf and find it daunting but to be honest I'm not sure it's the weight but the sheer length and commitment of time, which an e-reader isn't going to alter)