April's Bookshop of the Month Is Pritchard's Bookshop in Crosby, Liverpool. I grew up in Crosby and loved coming to your shop growing up, spending my book vouchers with delight! That and my trips to the library fostered my love of books. The bookshop celebrated it's 45th Birthday this month and we hope it keeps trading for much longer. Now, over to Steve Pritchard to tell us more about his 46 years of experience working in the book trade...

My mother and brother opened the first branch in 1974 in Ormskirk. When I left University I opened a branch in Crosby after 4 months searching for a site in the Merseyside area. I chose Crosby as it had excellent schools and a population that I thought could support an Independent Bookshop. I always had a passion for books even though my degree was in Nuclear Physics and Maths I thought I could make the business pay. My brother left the business in 1977 and the Ormskirk branch closed. The Crosby shop thrived with strong links to the local schools

Bookselling was very different in the 70’s Bibliographic information was in the form of enormous red books listing books in print with regular supplements. Publishers Representatives were thick on the ground before the amalgamations and takeovers, which made buying new books fun and interesting, they also helped with stock orders. Customer orders were sent by post and took a couple of weeks to arrive! Small regional wholesalers’ van service helped with basic stock. The annual big red books were replaced by first by monthly microfiche then CD Roms.

The rise of Bookshop Chains brought bookshops onto the main high street making general city independent bookselling difficult but out in the suburbs, we continued to thrive winning Independent Bookshop of the year in 1990.

The end of the Net Book Agreement, competition from Supermarkets, Internet selling, e-books, relocation due to a failed redevelopment and several recessions have provided bumps along the road but customers keep coming through my door!

Three words to describe my shop: Friendly, Knowledgeable Fun

Digital retailers have affected our business and a day doesn’t go by without us having to explain that sometimes they are selling books cheaper than we can buy them for from the publishers, and why it is still worth buying from a high street bookshop. On a positive note, we sell our old unsold unreturnable books online.

When e-books first started I was fearful that it would take an increasingly large percentage of the book trade making my shop unviable. I thought publishers should have made it possible to download an electronic version if customers had bought a full-priced paper copy, but that proved too difficult. Now the paper book is making a comeback with Independent Bookshops leading the way, e-books having reached a plateau.

A great bookshop is one where everyone is made welcome and is treated the same no matter what their age or taste is. Stock needs to be continually refreshed so no two visits are the same. The staff have to have good people skills great knowledge and endless patience.

Publishers are very generous with proof copies and I love to recommend books that I have enjoyed from I am Pilgrim to The Flat Share. Customers also recommend books they have read so we can pass on their advice.

My favourite part of the bookshop is the local book section. Most of the books there are a labour of love by the author, from Steam Railways and Buses to the history of local Cinemas or our local Non-league footie team.

My secret of books is they smell gorgeous.

I always check out the Independent bookshop in any town I visit and they are all brilliant in their own way, my 3 favourite local ones are Linghams, News from Nowhere and Broadhursts.

After 46 years in the book trade, I am looking forward to handing the shop on, when I find the right person to take it forward.

Keep up to date with Pritchards Bookshop!

Twitter: @PritchardsBooks

Facebook: @PritchardsBookshop

Instagram: @pritchardsbookshopcrosby

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