Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail | US small business

For years, we’ve heard that Amazon and big chains are crushing small businesses, but independent bookstores are suddenly making a comeback.

According to the American Booksellers Association, approximately 422 new independent bookstores opened in 2025, a 31% increase from 2024. Countless independent restaurants, coffee shops, fitness centers, movie theaters, clothing stores and other small businesses also continue to thrive, even in the era of ever-larger retailers, fast-casual restaurants and massive e-commerce platforms.

The reasons are obvious.

For starters, we live in a big country. There are 360 ​​million Americans spread across 4 million square miles of land. Big companies can’t cover all this ground, and even if they could, it doesn’t matter. There were too many different preferences, likes, likes, dislikes and inclinations that would push consumers towards any type of retailer they chose.

There is also no shortage of entrepreneurship and independence in this country. For several years, between 400,000 and 500,000 new commercial applications have been submitted each month! Millions of people want to own a business and be their own boss, and these people will find their unique way to present their products and services to their customers in order to make a living. The more the economy consolidates, the more opportunities multiply on the periphery.

It’s generally better and more enjoyable for people who work in small businesses. That’s why, despite the compensation that large organizations can offer, small businesses make up half of the country’s workforce. It always amazes me when I see clients who clearly pay their employees less money than they could make at a larger company, retain those employees, much less attract new ones. For what? This is because when you work in a small company, there is less bureaucracy, more flexibility and more chances to make a difference than when you work in a larger company. The smartest independent business owners realize this and leverage these advantages to recruit people who are engaged, loyal, and believe in what their leader is trying to do.

Independent businesses tend to have more ties to their communities, which, in turn, generates more loyalty and attention to their promotions, activities, and special holidays commemorating their existence, such as Small Business Saturday and National Small Business Week. Unlike the chain store, they create the image of a Main Street merchant fighting the system.

As a result, people like to show they care about their community by supporting their small businesses, even if the prices may be slightly higher. Consumers aren’t just tolerating small businesses: they’re increasingly choosing them in response to big business. And these companies also give back by sponsoring Little League teams, hosting charity events, and leading local chambers of commerce and Rotary clubs.

Small businesses fill a void that larger businesses don’t fill. Large companies improve their efficiency. Relevance at the small business scale.

The Barnes & Noble outlet near me has to meet its numbers every month and is entirely focused on moving products to make the most of every square inch of space. It’s not as cost-effective as a place to inventory slower-selling titles, even if there is an audience for them. Small businesses fill this space. They sell more obscure books that only a small percentage of people will buy. Large companies optimize their scale. Small businesses win by ignoring it.

Small business owners earn on average around $80,000 per year. Their businesses – especially if they are spread across a single location – tend to be less profitable than a chain store because they don’t realize economies of scale. But these business owners, as long as their bills are paid, often prefer the flexibility and individuality of being their own boss and are willing to earn less for that freedom. As a result, independent businesses can be more flexible about pricing and less bureaucratic about their discounts and sales policies in order to keep their customers happy.

Believe it or not, many suppliers and owners also prefer to work with small businesses. Larger companies generally take longer to pay, are difficult to penetrate for collections, and maintain a team of employees in their accounting departments who still receive their paychecks each week, even if a payment is late. Having a small business customer or tenant means dealing directly with the landlord if a problem arises and working with someone who is often more reliable in purchasing products or occupying a space too small for a bigger fish to consider.

That’s not to say that independent business owners aren’t at a significant disadvantage compared to their larger counterparts. Inflation, tariffs, regulations and taxes hit them harder. The competition is fierce. Advertising agencies, PR companies, online platforms and social media sites give preference to big clients with deeper pockets. Standards, processes, procedures and systems are more difficult to formalize. Technology is more disruptive. Resources are fewer. Stress levels are higher. Economic changes are more difficult to bear.

But independent businesses can be more specialized and focus on a certain type of clientele. They can scale more quickly, add or remove product lines, start or end a department, or hire and fire an underperforming worker more quickly. Decisions are made more quickly. If they want to grow, they can. If they don’t do it, they don’t do it.

All these reasons explain the success of the independent bookseller, the retailer, the restaurateur. Whenever you hear about a big giant company eating up its smaller competitors, don’t worry. There is plenty of room for small, independent businesses in this country, and there always will be. Large companies will continue to grow. But they’ll never do everything – and that’s exactly where small businesses win.