The Last Bookstore in DTLA
From drowning in debt to lines out the door, local outlets have readjusted the way they do business nine months after the COVID-19 outbreak hit the U.S.
With COVID-19 cases rising and a new stay-at-home order in effect, indie bookstores in Los Angeles continue to tread water amid an overwhelming storm. Throw in the first holiday season of the pandemic era and bookstores are enduring even more challenges in what would usually be the most lucrative time of the year.
When
The Hollywood Reporter last spoke to several bookstores in March — at the start of the pandemic — store owners were forced to cut staff, focus on online sales and ponder the idea of opening their doors again. Now nine months later and in the midst of the holiday season, local bookstores are open at 20 percent capacity and have found salvation by reinventing themselves and creating safe and enjoyable ways to remain connected to their communities.