10 Biggest Bookstores In The United States
Some of the biggest bookstores in the world have their headquarters in the US. The big bookstores in the US have survived competition with online bookstores as many readers gradually embrace the internet for reading materials. In the US you can still find bookstores that offer intriguing books containing a wealth of mystery, romance, drama, history, entertainment, education, and a whole lot more. When the internet came many bookstores failed and folded but there are a few bookstores that have thrived. Here’s a list of biggest bookstores in the USA in terms of sales and income, including internet sales.
Amazon
Amazon is the largest book retailer in the world with an annual income of about $469.8 billion. The company which is based in Seattle has a catalog that includes more than 33 million titles, and they ship their products to any part of the world. This internet giant can be blamed for changing the landscape of booksellers and almost causing the collapse of the physical bookshop. However, they then turned around and opened their own brick-and-mortar stores. They now have actual, physical stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, where they opened their first store.
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is another very large bookshop in the world. The company has an annual income of about $3.6 billion. Barnes & Noble began in New York and now has one of internet’s largest bookstores with more than one million titles in their ebook catalog. Trying to keep up with the competition, Barnes & Noble has expanded its in-store offerings to include a wide array of products featuring mainly videos, kids’ toys and products, games, and other printed materials. The company has a huge online store as well as large offerings in their brick-and-mortar bookshops.
The Hudson Group
The Hudson Hudson Group News operates more than 970 stores throughout the US with annual income of about $1.4 billion. Their story began with the founding in 1918, the company was then incorporated in 1926, and since 2008, they’ve been owned by Dunfry AG, of Basel, Switzerland. While books are a large part of their business, they also operate travel essentials and convenience stores, duty-free stores, electronics stores, themed stores, and food and beverage operations.
Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million popularly called BAM by its devotees was founded in 1917 as a street corner based in Florence, Alabama. This company is a house-hold name in the southeastern United States. They sell much more than books now with a good selection of gifts, toys, technology, and even a restaurant offering with their Joe Muggs® Café. The company has not just grown from selling books and newspapers; it currently boasts that it is the second-largest book retailer in the nation. The success of Books-A-Million is largely due to their wholesale and distribution subsidiary, American Wholesale Book Company, and their e-commerce business. They have an annual profit of $474.1 million.
Half Price Books
Half Price Books was founded in 1972 with headquarters in Dallas, Texas. This is America’s largest family-owned bookstore which is reputed for its commitment to books, literacy, and the local communities where their stores are housed. The company history dates back to two book-loving friends who opened a used book shop in an old laundromat with no idea of the appeal their “We Buy Books” ads would inspire. Today, they have more than 120 stores across the states and a significant web presence with an annual income of $255.6 million. Half Price Books has customers from across the world.
United Methodist Publishing House
United Methodist Publishing House is based in Nashville with an average income of $160 million. A very big religious bookseller called Cokesbury considers itself the retail and customer service arm of The United Methodist Publishing House. Offering more than 300,000 unique products that include books and other written materials, they claim to also reach a broad ecumenical audience across the globe.
Deseret Book Company
Deseret Book Company was founded in 1919 by a holding company that is controlled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The history of this company began when two booksellers, both of whom can trace their roots to the same man, merged. Later, in 2004, Deseret Book acquired Excel Entertainment Group, known for producing LDS cinema productions and making some records. The company is reputed for having a large offering, but everything they produce has a religious aspect to it. It has an average annual income of $59 million.
Bookmans
Bookmans was founded in 1976 in Tucson. Among the items they buy and then resell are books, magazines, comics, music, movies, video games, musical instruments, electronics, housewares, and more. Bookmans began when Bob Oldfather opened his first store in Tucson. Now, more than 40 years later, the store has become a chain with six buildings and a commitment to being an integral part of each community they reside in. Bookmans has an average annual income of $50.7 million and has a heavy internet presence through which it reaches to readers and book lovers across the world.
Powell’s Books
Powell’s Books is another large bookstore in the US with an average annual income of about $45 million. The company began in Chicago when college student Michael Powell opened the first store in 1970. His father Walter helped Michael and loved the business so much, he opened his own used bookstore in Portland, Oregon. Eventually, Michael moved back to Portland and closed down the Chicago location. Today there are three locations in Oregon, and it’s owned and run by the third generation of Powells. The company is currently among the dominant names in USA’s bookstore landscape.
Books Inc.
Books, Inc. was founded in 1851 and has its headquarters in San Francisco, California. This company boasts of being the biggest store or the biggest retailer to the others. Gold miner Anton Roman apparently struck it rich and left gold behind to focus on words. He opened his first bookstore in Shasta City, but that store no longer exists though it gave birth to a 1946 franchise called Books Inc. Today Books Inc. has a respectable ten locations throughout California and reaches out several readers and booklovers across the world. He company has an annual income of about $11 million
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