A struggling second-hand bookshop owner who wrote about his dwindling profits on Facebook in a last-ditch attempt to keep his business afloat has seen his sales figures soar.
David Ford found he was steadily losing business – making only around £14 a day at his store in Saltaire, West Yorkshire – thanks to the popularity of online bookstores such as Amazon as well as the rise of the e-book.
Realising his shop was in trouble, Mr Ford posted his takings online alongside a cry for help and was amazed by the response.
Sales for most bookshops have been dwindling but David Ford is confident he can keep his store open
In just one day he raked in more than 40 times the amount he had made only a few days earlier.
Mr Ford said: ‘Now, we have to be more clever about how we sell books. We sell online and we use social media and do all sorts to survive.’
The bookseller, who is also the chairman of the Saltaire Traders Association, went on to say: ‘The point I’m making is if people don’t use local shops, then they will disappear.
‘Independent shops are part of a community, which will be lost if they are forced to close as people choose to buy online or in supermarkets.
'There has been a decline and we have to work harder to get people through the doors.’
David Ford in his bookshop that has been saved from dwindling sales by social media
The Facebook status plea that re-invigorated the bookshop's business
Speaking about his decision to appeal for help online, he said: ‘It was a particularly hard week last week. Many people earn four times as much as us shopkeepers do.
‘I put something on Facebook to say this is the reality of it, this is what we earn, to try and encourage people to use their local shops and services. It was a very positive response.’
He added: ‘There is something wonderful and unique about books. I’m certain they will never go away. We want to get people into books but this won’t happen without bookshops.’
David Ford was amazed by the response when he posted about his shop's takings on FacebookMr Ford has had to embrace the digital age to help with sales at his second-hand bookshop
Figures show that in 2012, 73 independent bookshops closed and 29 opened, according to membership figures from the Booksellers Association.
And around one-third of independent bookshops closed in the last seven years. Lisa Campbell – from trade magazine The Bookseller – believes that despite independent booksellers being squeezed by online retailers, increases in rent and business rates, many are trying to fight back.
She said: ‘Holding events such as author signing, book group sessions and poetry readings are key to their sustainability in their local communities, as is offering expert knowledge on books and recommendations.
They rely on customer loyalty to thrive and many do buck the trend when they get this right.’
Ford has piles of books that remain unsold and has turned to the internet to help with sales
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