The American Booksellers Association has launched a national marketing campaign, “Boxed Out," to draw attention to the plight of independent booksellers, who say they are facing the upcoming holiday gift-buying season with double challenges – a pandemic and Amazon.

“ABA CEO Alison Hill explained the motive for the campaign as well as its timing: more than one indie bookstore a week has closed since the Covid-19 crisis began, while at the same time, there are forecasts that Amazon will generate $10 billion in revenue on October 13 and 14 during its Prime Day promotion alone,” reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.

“Convenience has a cost and a consequence, says Hill. Closed indie bookstores [in her view] represent the loss of local jobs and local tax dollars; the loss of community centers; and the loss of opportunities for readers to discover books and connect with other readers in a meaningful face-to-face way,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.

“As we move into 2021, it is important that we start to think about how we want our book business to look post-pandemic.”