Bookshops: long-established and the most fashionable

In the era of e-books and online shops, when the classic book trade has come under increasing pressure, the success of a bookshop is by no means a foregone conclusion. Booksellers confront these new challenges with very different economic strategies and conceptual measures. Spatial concepts, furnishings and design are indispensable ingredients of a successful sales strategy for newer as well as more tradition-steeped bookstores. People like to linger – and buy – where they feel comfortable. This volume is dedicated to the most beautiful bookstores in the world. The old and the new, classical and innovative, giant stores and paradises in miniature for bibliophiles: What they all have in common is that they create a desire for books and prove that the bookshop as institution will always fulfil a need and without a doubt enjoys a future.

Books are an undeniably important part of our lives: we immerse ourselves with books in another world in order to leave the day-to-day behind for a while. Of course, they are also the most important means of conveying knowledge. They can educate as well as entertain us, and offer us fiction as well as science and broaden our horizon.

This volume is dedicated to the most beautiful and interesting bookshops in the world. What they have in common is the ability to create a desire for books. Especially in the age of e-books and online trade the design of the retail spaces is all the more significant. They prove that the bookshop as an institution has, and will continue to have, a secure place in our lives. The classical and comfortable, the modern and innovative, small shops and larger enterprises all have their places in this collection. Each shop is a paradise for the book lover. An informative introduction to the history of books confirms that books are not just relicts of days gone by, but will continue to fulfil their function in the future.