by Iris
ABC has always prided itself on being “stubbornly independent.” We like to do things our way, even if we’re the only ones doing it. That goes right back to the start of the company, when we were among the first to offer English-language books to a Dutch audience. Almost 55 years later, we’re still here!
Still, it hasn’t always been easy. The landscape of the book industry has undergone massive changes in those 5+ decades, even disregarding the odd pandemic here or there. Big web stores in particular have targeted bookstores again and again.
These days, most people know that brick-and-mortar stores simply cannot match the prices you see online if they want to have any hope of continuing to exist. But do you know why? A big reason is that web giants can afford to sell books at a loss (which they can compensate through other goods with larger profit margins), all with the goal of dominating the market. Not to mention that they often pay lower or no taxes, and can negotiate for bigger discounts with suppliers.
We are a family-owned, independent company with brick-and-mortar stores at prime locations in Amsterdam, The Hague and Leidschendam; we keep a lot of books in stock (new titles, but also an elaborate backlist); we have staff constantly hand-curating their sections and providing personalized customer service; we organize events, giving you the chance to meet the authors you love – in short, we bring a lot to our local community.
This is why we’re participating in Week van de Stenen Winkel. From May 4th to May 10th, all three of our stores are part of this week dedicated to celebrating local, brick-and-mortar stores. Every day, the first few customers in each of our stores will receive a little goodie bag full of exclusive publisher’s items. Think pins, stickers, tote bags, bookmarks, and more cool stuff. First come, first served.
We would love to welcome you in our stores during Week van de Stenen Winkel, and of course in any other week as well. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us – we literally couldn’t do it without you!
