There’s A New—And Easier—Way To Support Local Indie Booksellers

Want to buy a copy of Heated Rivalry ASAP and support a local indie bookstore in Canada? That virtuous circle has just gotten easier to close thanks to Les Librairies indépendantes du Québec. 

In February, the Quebec-based independent bookstore e-commerce site expanded into English Canada with its launch of Booksellers.ca.

As it did with great success in Quebec, the digital bookseller is once again pooling local talent, bringing independent bookstores together around the country on one site to sell an international selection of what’s on their shelves—and across every genre. The site currently sells books from more than 38 shops in eight provinces.

In addition to offering consumers broader access to support local sellers, the website makes a competitive rival to dominant online bookselling giants like Amazon and Indigo for delivery convenience and shipping rates, too. Books that are in stock online ship within two to five days, and book orders over $49 are shipped free. (The site also has toys like LEGO and party games that ship for free over $59.) 

Booksellers.ca allows you to shop from the combined stock of all the participating stores at once and gives you a heads-up on which bookstore can get your order to you the fastest before you checkout. But if you want to target your support—or see what booksellers in Granville Island, B.C. are recommending, for example—there’s an option to customize your shopping experience. Just search the participating bookstores in the Our Bookstores tab to shop their stock directly, or find the seller closest to you. There’s even an option to set your favourite seller.

Great book recommendations from book lovers and more opportunities to support homegrown sellers? Can’t be angry about that.

Looking for your next great read? Check out editor-in-chief Maureen Halushak’s favourite spring books.