Amazon rival Bookshop.org UK online platform hits £5 million in profit for independent book retailers

Bookshop.org, which positions itself as an ethical alternative to Amazon that champions independent bookshops, has now generated £5 million in profit since its launch in 2020, for more than 650 bookshops using the online platform. 

Thanks to the incremental financial revenue coming from this, book retailers have been able to fund IT upgrades, further the range of books in stock, acquire promotional materials to run themed promotions, and host in-store events.

The news comes during the National Year of Reading, a UK wide campaign aiming to encourage people of all ages to make reading a regular part of their lives. Following the launch of ebooks in 2025, this year Bookshop.org is also set to add a new audiobook offering to its services.

Catherine Gale and Claire Dawes, The Heath Bookshop, said: “From the moment we opened The Heath Bookshop in 2022, Bookshop.org has been hugely supportive. With an incredibly user friendly page, our customers order through the platform  to support our shop.”

“It has saved us a huge amount of time and we simply collect any takings we've made whenever we choose from the dashboard. In a few days, we receive payment that goes a long way to supporting the running of our shop and hosting events. Bookshop.org are a huge bonus to the bookshop community. Congratulations to them on their milestone.”

Steve Scholey, P&G Wells, says: “It’s fantastic news that this significant milestone has been achieved. Bookshop.org continues to provide us a small but steady income stream which has helped to fund IT upgrades. More importantly, should we not have the right book for customers when they visit our traditional bookshop we are able to recommend an ethical means of purchasing online.”

Andy Johnson, Chorlton Bookshop, says: “We try to offer the appeal of a traditional bookshop while also moving with the times, and Bookshop.org have made it easy for us to embrace online bookselling.”

“Coincidentally, they arrived at just the right time - during the pandemic - enabling us to create a new income stream when it was sorely needed. They offer useful resources and lots of them, and we're more than happy to point our customers in their direction. It's a symbiotic relationship - if they thrive, we thrive. Long may it continue!”

Meryl Halls, Managing Director at the Booksellers Association, says: “At a time when many independent bookshops are grappling with rising costs and the disproportionate impact of business rates reform, additional revenue streams are more important than ever. Bookshop.org provides a valuable opportunity for independent bookshops to compete more effectively with global online retailers, while also enabling them to reach readers through digital formats.”

“Independent bookshops remain unrivalled innovators and tireless champions of reading for pleasure, and the continued success of Bookshop.org reflects how well its agile digital platform complements the ethos and strengths of independent bookselling.”

Nicole Vanderbilt, Managing Director at Bookshop.org, says: “We’re delighted to have reached this important milestone for the indie bookshops in our network. Our mission is to work with indies to ensure they have a robust, resilient, multi-channel business that meets a wide array of readers where they are: shopping online, reading ebooks, and soon listening to audio.”

“While Amazon continues to hurt bookselling, authors, and ultimately readers, by encouraging the proliferation of AI slop and deep discounts on many titles, we are proud to keep bookselling human. Rather than seeking profit at all costs by replacing employees with robots and authors with AI, we believe that when we sell more, indies do better, and our society does too, as a result.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Online retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.