B
Booming

How indie bookstores escaped Amazon's shadow

April 29, 2026·25 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Remember when bookstores were an endangered species? Well not anymore.  Thousands of independent bookstores across the country just celebrated Independent Bookstore Day.  Brick-and-mortar places like Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle didn't just survive the e-commerce revolution. They’re thriving ... by leaning into doing what online sellers can’t do.  On today's episode, how did independent bookstores escape Amazon’s shadow? And what lessons could other businesses learn from their revival? Check out the KUOW Book Club. Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.Support the show: https://kuow.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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