Amazon is drawing criticism for scheduling its major 2025 book sale on dates that directly overlap with Independent Bookstore Day, a significant annual event celebrated across the United States. This year, Amazon’s much-publicized book event stretches from April 23 to April 28, coinciding exactly with the April 26 celebration dedicated to independently owned bookstores.
Independent Bookstore Day, organized annually by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), features special events, author appearances, and exclusive merchandise at approximately 1,600 participating bookstores nationwide. The event has become increasingly prominent as independent bookstores enjoy a resurgence in popularity across the U.S., as highlighted in recent ABA reports indicating steady growth and profitability for independent shops over the past year.
Despite the renewed energy surrounding local booksellers, Amazon still dominates the American book market, controlling more than half of the combined online and offline print book sales according to a 2020 congressional estimate. Its dominance of the e-book market is even more firmly established.
Given its market power, Amazon’s coinciding promotional event has not been well-received by independent booksellers or their advocates. Bookshop.org, a platform specifically set up to support independent bookstores, sent an email to customers expressing strong disapproval of Amazon’s decision. CEO Andy Hunter described the move as deliberately timed to undermine independent bookstores, claiming that Amazon has already driven countless small booksellers out of business, currently holds more than 60% of the market, and outsells all independent bookstores combined.
Hunter called the timing “shameless,” urging consumers to support their local independent bookstores instead.
Amazon, meanwhile, has maintained that any overlap was purely coincidental. In a statement, the company attributed the timing of its promotional event to logistical considerations necessary to coordinate sales across multiple countries. Due to Amazon’s size and global reach, it’s plausible that the U.S. Independent Bookstore Day simply wasn’t considered when choosing sale dates.
However, independent booksellers remain skeptical. Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, said bluntly that Amazon’s scheduling appears to reveal a deeper indifference toward small businesses, remarking, “At best it’s insensitive, and at worst it seems like a tactic to hurt small businesses.”
