An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store. They may be structured as sole proprietorships, closely held corporations or partnerships, cooperatives, or nonprofits. Independent stores can be contrasted with chain bookstores, which have many locations and are owned by corporations which often have divisions in other lines besides bookselling. Specialty stores such as comic book shops tend to be independent.
An independent bookshop in Stoke Newington, London
City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, 2010
Shakespeare and Company in Paris 2004
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process.
Cărturești Carusel, a bookshop in a historical building from Bucharest (Romania), built in 1860 as a bank. Its interior combines Baroque Revival architecture with modern design
Bookshop in Marburg (Hesse, Germany)
Interior of the bookshop from the Singer House (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Catholic Book shop in Victoria, Australia