INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS CLOSING AT AN ALARMING RATE IN UK

This story from The Bookseller Thursday:

Indie closures shock
10.05.07 Graeme Neill

Independent bookshops have been closing at a rate of more than one per week over the past 10 months.
The number of independent members of the Booksellers Association fell by 59 to 1,424 stores in the 10 months to April 2007, a drop of almost 4%. The vast majority of these stores have ceased trading over the past 10 months, although a small proportion will have failed to extend their BAmembership.
Last week, the In Other Words independent bookshop in Plymouth announced it was to close after 25 years of trading. Its founder, Prudence de Villier, said that "changing shopping patterns" were at the root of the problem facing independents. "Every time people buy a book from Amazon or Waterstone's or Tesco, they are taking money away from an independent retailer," she said. "So many people said to us when they heard we were closing that they should have shopped with us more."
BA c.e.o. Tim Godfray said he was "very concerned" about the number of independents closing. "Any one member closing is bad news for our organisation." But he pointed to a recent Book Marketing Limited survey, which found that between 2003 and 2006 independent bookshop sales increased 2% by volume and 10% by value. "While I am worried about the pressures on independent bookshops, it is in no way all doom and gloom," he said. "Some independents are flourishing."
The BA's indie membership has fallen by almost a quarter over the past 10 years. In April 1997, there were 1,839 independent bookshop members of the BA, compared to 1,424 in April 2007. While the number of indies has fallen over the past 10 years, the total number of BA member outlets has risen to 4,410 now from 3,281 in April 1997, an increase of more than 34%. However, the total number of member outlets, both independent and chain, fell during the past 12 months by 1.9% from 4,495 to 4,410.

And here is an American slant on the same situation in that country.