Robbie Egan: ‘A centralised ecommerce platform … would be transformative’

Wednesday, 10 July 2024 Books+Publishing

Robbie Egan is CEO of BookPeople, the Australian Booksellers Association. Here, he argues that the mainstream media’s ‘gloom and doom’ narrative following Booktopia’s entry into voluntary administration has been ‘quarantined to one business’, and considers the ‘incredible opportunity’ Booktopia’s assets offer.

One of the challenges of this job and for our industry is the narrative that bookshops are going out of business. After a hectic 24 hours of media questions about Booktopia entering voluntary administration, I feel the narrative has shifted. It’s not a good story when a business of that size falters. Many people have lost their jobs, and a huge channel for local publishing and writing is imperilled. Media are now far more attuned to the message we’ve been pushing for the past six years, that local independent bookshops are resilient businesses that serve the industry and their communities with a level of care and personalisation that online giants simply cannot match. None of this changes the current challenges we are all facing, but at least the gloom and doom narrative is quarantined to one business.

We have an opportunity to reach more readers now. Online comments about the story often reference local bookshops, and a huge pool of readers will be seeking a new bookseller. Shopping local is an antidote to the situation Booktopia is in, and we want to take those readers from defaulting to Amazon. Booktopia’s assets now represent an incredible opportunity. The business could be converted into a social enterprise that operates for the benefit of independent booksellers in Australia, much like bookshop.org, but with ownership and integration of the fulfilment service. This is magical thinking, and perhaps if I was younger and it was earlier in my career, I’d investigate it with a risk appetite far greater than I now possess. It’s good to dream, though, and the idea of a centralised ecommerce platform working for all of us is intoxicating and would be transformative.

All we can do now is keep working, to continue providing the personalised excellence that bookshops are built for. We are open to Australian readers, as successful businesses, trusted curators, and welcoming democratic spaces. We can take Booktopia’s huddled masses and turn them on to the best experience of all—their local bookshop.

This opinion was originally published in the BookPeople newsletter.

Category: Features