Every week we interview a high street shop in East London to celebrate local businesses.
East Side Story spoke to employees at Brick Lane Bookshop about how they have survived during the rise of Amazon and online book distributers.
Established in 1978, Brick Lane Bookshop started in Watney Market as part of a social enterprise project, Tower Hamlets Art Projects (THAP).
15 years ago, the bookshop, then called Eastside Books, moved to Brick Lane where they stock every genre and more, from local history, fiction and poetry to art, non-fiction and children’s books.
“Brick Lane is no longer as arty as it was before. Now, there are so many food outlets and markets, and the place is full of tourists and bankers. It used to be arty about 20 years ago when it was cheap, but now it is just like Portobello Road.
“It was kind of scary when, five or ten years ago, Amazon started to grow in popularity. But there has even a new wave of interest in independence which has saved us. Because footfall on Brick Lane is so high, touch wood, we’re doing ok.
“People are more conscious about where they get their things from, they care more now. People are more mindful about things like recycling and it’s linked to supporting independent shops, or at least it’s starting to go that way.”
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