TUCSON, Ariz. — As print book sales continue to rise across the U.S., there's a new addition to the local bookstore scene tucked away on 5th Street. Littlest Bookshop, owned by Hypatia Luna and her husband Jesse Adcock, opened just over a month ago and is packed with children's books.
Each book addresses different backgrounds and interests, creating a more inclusive and diverse shop. Luna said the customers — both children and parents — found that shopping for a physical book was more comforting than any e-reader. It gives Littlest Bookshop a steady stream of customers in the last month that they've been open.
"What I've seen, especially with picture books, there’s more representation so I think all people not just children are able to see themselves in books and literature in a way that is pretty new,” Luna said.
Publishers Weekly published a study that showed a 9% increase in print book sales in 2021 with over 800 million books sold. Adcock said customers are tired of shopping online, especially for books, so they are more inclined to visit a bookstore.
The Rise of BookTok
If you've been on Tiktok lately, there's a huge community of book lovers. From giving reviews and recommendations, readers and authors alike are thanking TikTok for giving books a platform. It's creating a desire for people to buy bookshelves and pack it with their favorite novels.
For Littlest Bookshop, social media has been incredibly helpful for business, bringing in a steady stream of customers.
"I know for us we’ve gotten a lot of positive response from just from our own Facebook and Instagram," Adcock said. "And that’s really getting people in here...so they’re seeing us on a social media page and that’s certainly helping us drive our business."
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