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IT WAS SUGGESTED this week, at the highest levels of Government, that the arrival of Amazon.ie is good news for all. As a small retailer and family business operating in Galway city, we at Kennys Bookshop disagree.
The negative impact Amazon has had on other markets should be enough to cause major concern as to what its presence in Ireland could do to small and medium businesses here.
Looking at bookshops alone, numbers in the UK are half of what they were when Amazon launched there in 1995, while in the US, a Harvard Business School report showed that in the five years after Amazon launched there, 40% of indie bookstores closed.
Ireland’s Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde, recently said, “I can’t imagine living in a town without a bookshop. Would it even be a town?” Bookshops are places of discovery and culture, of peace and calm, of community and creativity, and with something to offer everyone. As well as Kennys Bookshop, Galway City is lucky to have Charlie Byrne’s, Dubray, Eason and Bell, Book & Candle.
These shops form an integral part of the city and what it offers the community, visitors and tourists alike. They pay rates, sponsor local teams, they employ locally and host events, they support writers and encourage children to read. Without them, the city would be worse off.
We are fortunate in Ireland to have so many great bookshops, but there is serious concern amongst the book trade as to what the impact of Amazon will be here. In the UK, Amazon has the monopoly on online book sales, with around 50% of printed books, over 90% of ebooks and over 95% of audiobooks sold through them.
However, while Amazon tends to undercut sellers on many of the major titles, they are by no means always the cheapest. The average amount spent on a book in Ireland in 2024 was just €13.10. When we want a new novel, do we really need to give this to an online, multi-trillion euro corporation, instead of the town’s bookseller who has a website with a delivery service or a shop you can walk into? The same goes for anything we buy.
Yes, Amazon is a platform where businesses can list their products for sale. And many Irish retailers do. However, Amazon’s commission can be as high as 20-25%, depending on the value of the product. They also charge membership and fees, and sellers worldwide have complained about ongoing issues listing with Amazon due to opaque practices.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw the huge effort made by consumers in Ireland to support local businesses at risk of closure. It was so encouraging and had a huge impact on many levels. At Kennys, we got almost daily messages from people telling us how they had made the extra effort to shop locally with us and other retailers, instead of spending with bigger corporations online and sending their money overseas. Lists were regularly published, forums active and groups set up to promote Irish retailers and to highlight where you could find books, electrical goods, crafts, toys, clothing, food and so on during the pandemic. Could the same thing happen again?
It is going to be extremely difficult for retailers in Ireland to compete with the multi-trillion-euro corporation that is now on our doorstep, and nobody wants to see local businesses closing. But for our towns to continue to have bricks and mortar stores, consumers will need to shop in them (either in-store or online) instead of on Amazon. And it is up to us as retailers to provide incentives for them to do so.
The good news is that there is nearly always an Irish retailer to provide an alternative to Amazon, and often, they offer better service and value for money. At Kennys Bookshop, for example, we have free delivery in Ireland on all books and sell thousands of books heavily discounted and cheaper than Amazon. We have personal customer service, a physical bookshop and art gallery in Galway City, and we regularly host free events. We directly support authors, artists and publishers, and have experienced booksellers available to help with recommendations.
Online shopping is something we have all come to embrace, and it is here to stay. But the one-stop-shop conglomerate is not the only show in town. Local Irish retailers have survived and thrived for decades for a reason, not least because they contribute to the community they are in.
As businesses, we need to shout about our unique selling points and provide good value and customer experiences. And as consumers, we need to think about where and how we spend our money, and the long-term effect of those decisions. Do we want to buy those headphones from our local electrical shop, either in store or online and put the money back into our community? Or do we want to buy them from a foreign billionaire?
Now, more than ever, is the time to shop local and shop Irish, because we won’t know what we have until it’s gone.
Sarah Kenny is a third-generation bookseller at Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway. The shop was opened by her grandparents there in 1940 and their websitekennys.ie, which went online in 1994, is the oldest online bookshop in the world.
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Its good to support local during these hectic times otherwise our towns will be nothing but vape shops and phone stores.
@Trevor Schmitt: and bookies, maybe the odd pub.
I love local bookshops there’s nothing like walking into one, flipping through pages, and even just taking in that new-book smell. But the reality is, the world has moved online, and if small businesses want to stay strong, they need to be part of that too. That doesn’t mean losing what makes them special. If anything, having an online presence maybe even using Amazon as a tool rather than seeing it as the enemy could help them bring in more customers and keep people coming back.
Let’s be honest, people still love physical books. Ebooks were supposed to kill them off, but they didn’t, because there’s something real about holding a book in your hands. I think this will be the same Amazon.ie might make a splash, but it won’t replace the joy of browsing in an actual shop. Bookshops just need to make sure they’re giving people both options, so they stay part of the real world too – both offline and online.
Amazon.ie is good for business here in Ireland. By offering a dedicated Irish platform, it means that online purchases are more likely to support our local economy. Instead of sending money off to the UK or US, orders placed on amazon.ie help ensure that taxes and custom charges are kept within Ireland. This not only benefits consumers by streamlining the buying process but also means that the money recirculates into public services and local projects. In short, it gives people here a more homegrown shopping experience that can support Irish jobs and community development.
@Rafa C: Shaun Bythell has described in detail in his book Diary of a Bookseller how small independent bookshops are pressurized by said online company.
Taking a bookshop off the local shopping scene is like losing one’s soul.
@Rafa C: With the growth of apartment living space for books can become an issue. To supplement income bookshops could rent books out with a suitable refundable deposit and try reading areas serving coffee to members space permitting.
@thomas molloy: that’s what Towers Records on Dublin’s Dawson Street has (or used to have), a small café. I think Hodges&Figgis across the street also used to have a café a few tears back. Good old times
Local libraries also have the free rental model, with a reading area in most of them. But no tea or coffee is provided yet.
Since the UK and even German Amazon sites are currently heavily used, will a dedicated Irish site make that much difference?
@Shaner Mac: Checked a few things I have saved in my UK basket, all more expensive on the Irish site. Sadly unsurprising..
@Shaner Mac: It will help with the UK ‘Brexit tax’ and in some cases cheaper delivery.
@Jamie Hinch: Bought a pair of runners on Amazon.uk for 50 euro, 75 euro on Amazon.ie
@Jamie Hinch: Yep. My young bucks birthday this week and he’s mad into premier league cards. On dot UK site for megabox was €86 delivered and new irish site was over €120
Bad for everyone, more data centres, then energy price hikes because of high demand, what a great little 3 card trick for all the rip off merchants.
@bruce banner: A moving movie on the struggle for bookstores. You’ve Got Mail
1998 ‧ Comedy/Romance
@bruce banner: I’m not saying the .ie is necessarily a good thing but data centres are a different thing really, having Irish vased Amazon shopping doesn’t increase or decrease datacenters
@Dave Geraghty: i know, but it will be the excuse FFG will make
Shop local and stop the killing of our
Towns & Cities
@RIP: Can’t get everything local unfortunately.
@RIP: nearest “book shop ” is easons. Or now the bookmark” nothing to rave about . Why waste books buying and just putting on shelf to get dusty there s places called library’s and book donation s every where now. Personally prefare e books
@Karen Marten: You probably find it hard to believe but books are read more than once, can be used as reference library, and in my personal opinion are a reflection of a person’s character.
A house without books is not a home.
I really fear for the small
Irish businesses now, this behemoth Amazon will gobble them up. Very sad.
@Buster Lawless: I look for a book locally, can’t find – what do I do if it’s available on Amazon?
I ask my bookshop to order it for me.
@Buster Lawless: after we lost argos. Amazon was. The replacement shopping for e erything
@Buster Lawless: You didn’t see todays franchise poll?… we’re were bought and sold to the global market a long time ago.
@Athena: Ditto! Your local bookshop can order ANY book for you.
The days of the Karen’s and Patricia’s owning the local bookshop fleecing anyone and everyone will soon be a thing of the past. These stores are the new xtravision, on their last legs. We are getting on just fine without Xtravision today. The world moves on. Some people might like to live in a society akin to little house on the prairie where we all know one another, chew straw, give each other the high fives and buy or barter in the local village but majority don’t. If something can be gotten for a euro cheaper online that’s where the flock pour to. Sell for one cent cheaper than your rival and they’ll flock back to you but in reality you’ll never be able. There are people now so insanely rich they can start companies and it doesn’t bother them if they don’t see a cent of profit for 15 years. They use that time to destroy the competition while taking losses to eventually win out. The average Joe can’t compete with that. Just accept it’s how the world is today and find yourself a handy gig doing something else. Community spirit from a business sense is truly dead in the water. People barely even want to talk to one another buying something now, it’s click on buy click out.
@Dan The Man: you sound like a nice person
@Dan The Man: Buy a lot of books Dan?
@Dan The Man: Dan, take a trip to Galway, walk down Quay Street, stop outside the door of Kenny’s bookshop, take in the whole atmosphere, go inside, browse for a while and then treat yourself to a book. I don’t know if you will meet any Karen or Patricia but third-generation Sarah will look after you well, she learnt her craft from her parents and grandparents that looked after my generation growing up in Galway. . Feel the magic, it’s still there ….. By the way you may have to stand in a queue as the coach loads of overseas visitors descend on Quay Street and Kenny’s bookshop when visiting the west of Ireland.
@Dan The Man: it’s attitudes like yours that are turing society soulless ..
@K H: I think Dan’s message was holding a mirror up to society today. You mightn’t like it but it was an accurate description of what is happening on the ground. Local shops and businesses are closing at a rate of knots now whether that is down to a reduction of customers (as people shop online), higher costs, etc. it is the reality. People want convenience and cheap tat, look at the amount of deliveries happening.
@Dan The Man: good grief. Aren’t you a Sunday Monday joy joy
@The next small thing: True. People ‘want it now, want it cheap’.
They sneer at quality as being ‘elitist’.
They find everything they want in Aldi and Temu.
Sad, really. ‘Fine’ has become an outdated word.
@Dan The Man: you really are bitter.
@Nancy Gallagher: you are raving. Kenny’s is not on Quay st- it moved to a horrible industrial estate building years ago
@Dan The Man: i think you’ve spent too much time online in your mother’s basement socializing with you’re online friends. have you even left the house this year?
@Rob Hunt: yeah really nice what did Karen and Patricia do to you.
@Jimmy The Mink: Dan doesn’t read.
Support local / independent book stores … simple as that
Reddit link giving loads of Irish alternatives to the soulless Amazon (don’t delete or report)
Kennys is a brilliant bookshop, Amazon couldn’t replace whiling away an afternoon browsing in there for me anyway. And for online second hand books thebookshop.ie is excellent, Irish and delivers quickly. I’d say Amazon will impact the more sterile places like bookstation than the likes of Kennys that already have more unique selling points that Amazon can’t imitate.
I would happily use Irish online booksellers if the orders didn’t take weeks to arrive.
@James Dunne: What’s the rush?
@James Dunne: I’ve found delivery times about the that between Amazon and irish online sellers.
@James Dunne: for books, delivery times shouldn’t really affect purchase choice as readers tend to have a mount tbr that they are slowly but surely making bigger (I added 8 books to mine last year) so what does it matter if a book is here on Tuesday or Friday as it won’t be until next november (2026) that I read it.
@James Dunne: I’ve bought a few books from Easons, they generally arrive within 2 days, often the following day.
We all know Amazon deliberately make no profit on most of their books, they do this to undermine bookshops.
@Áine G: Bezos doesn’t even like books.
He started out selling them not because he wanted more people to read but because people can’t always find the books they want to read in their local store and an online store can offer a greater range of books which gives them a huge advantage. Also they are rectangular in shape and easy to pack.
He tried to kill them off completely with the Kindle but it turns out those of us who love books love the feel of a real book and want an occasional break from staring at electronic screens.
If you do live somewhere remote and can’t get to a physical bookshop or your local one doesn’t have the books you want, I’d recommend Easons who have a good range of books and fast, free deliveries.
@Seamus Enright: they’ve good selection but found amazon to be up to 50% cheaper than easons, which is great when getting books for the kids also.
Two points:
1. You can’t halt progress
2. Bezos is a real peace of shy-t
@Argus Romsworth: The problem with Amazon is not its owner. They feed the want it now must have it now type of customer and typically charge extortionate shipping fees, that’s how they make their money.
@Argus Romsworth: lol ‘progress’
Bought an external drive online recently as local shops we selling 4tb from 150/250 euros, i tried Chinese site for 1st time 7 euros for 4tb drive, free shipping but maybe 3 weeks delivery, no problem i wait. It arrived 5 days later worked and had 3.2 usb port unlike the local 3.0., why give bezos money?
@bruce banner: Why give the Chinese money?
@bruce banner: where did you find an external hard drive that cheap?
@George Bowling: aliexpress as far as i remember
Competition is good but a near monopoly isn’t. As a voracious Amazon customer I hate myself for it but the ease of purchase and no quibble return is unbeatable. The Irish govt love it cos it will give loads of low paid jobs in warehouses and they will claim that Amazon is a great employer. Would much rather see the same interest in the govt investing in and supporting Irish small business. But that’s harder so they take the lazy option…as always.
@Johnny frankson: nail on the head Johnny. I think most of us are exactly the same with amazon.
First off, Eason Group own Dubray, they are not independent. Secondly, Eason are a vile company to work for, they have no respect for their employees. They’re told to be ‘curators of dreams’ but are treated like sh*te. Finally, Irish consumers have been ripped off for decades in terms of the cost of books, DVDs, CDs etc so no…. I don’t love Amazon but I don’t love Irish retailers either.
Also, Eason offer 30% off if you order a book through their click-and-collect service online but you cant avail of that if you shop in-store. So you can see exactly where their business model is going; they want profit, not people. Sound like Amazon.ie anyone?
In one of the most expensive and infrastructure torrid nations in Europe Irish people will strive to spend less. It’s who we are.
@Thesaltyurchin: strive to spend less? You must be kidding. Paddy is money bags spending money he has and has not. Non stop.
@Johnny frankson: Nah, we like money MORE than we do each other or our society… Global market wins eveytime.
Amazon prime vans are all over the place since Covid so it won’t make a lot of difference them being in ireland now
Another left-wing blowhard that doesn’t recognise the countless benefits of globalisation. I welcome the fact that Amazon now has a website in Ireland. Amazon provides an enormous platform for Irish small businesses to reach a global customer base. Small businesses can list their products on Amazon’s marketplace, benefiting from Amazon’s massive traffic and logistical infrastructure. The ease of use, established trust and international reach Amazon provides can significantly increase visibility and sales for small businesses in Ireland. We need to encourage more companies like Amazon to permanently plant their flag in Ireland. With pharmaceutical companies under fire from Trump and the threat of tariffs on them looming, it’s important that we diversify the multinationals that are here.
Shouldnt be using ANY Bezoo Trump funding platforms. Burn the right Amazon.
Thatcher lives on…unfortunately.
As a Kindle convert many years ago, I can’t remember the last time I bought a physical book. Plus, every book and magazine I read can be stored on it.
Amazon Ireland does not have a book page so I believe they do not sell books on their new Irish site.
People should always buy their books locally from lovely people like Yvonne O’Brien and the staff of the Kilkenny Book Shop if the book concerned is in stock.
If not they can buy it when in Dublin from Paul McGrath at Hodges Figgis.
Business differentiation is the key is to beat competition. Amazon’s USP is fast delivery and a wide range of books (as its supply is sourced from worldwide). However, what Amazon can’t provide – by the very nature of it’s business – is a place where people can sit down, chat about the books they like, and even get recommendations – which only a human who has some exposure to the EQ of those books can provide. I am a big fan of Kenny’s. And no, I do not hate Amazon. But the key here is to acknowledge the differences and capitalize on your competitive advantage, while remaining grounded to your core business philosophy – building community around books; personalizing the book buying and reading experience, & a balanced selection (not too wide or narrow)
Quit. This same shop’s owners have been predicting “book sakes Armageddon” since the internet arrived about 25 years ago. I have never read a book online. I just cannot. I sincerely think most others prefer an actual book. Either way, there is no holding back the tide of change.
I think people don’t quite understand how Amazon works… People.. i.e. bookshops themselves can create seller accounts there and reach a wider audience of clients.. my friends sell on it.. worldwide and are Irish.. I think before writing statements like this article one should actually educate oneself more before writing it. Amazon takes cut by charging for an account to sell… The more you sell the more you earn and so do they.. to say that bookshops will loose out? Maybe if you as the bookstore don’t open up a Amazon selling account yourself you might loose out… Personally I love shopping on Amazon but I’ll also go to my local book store first to browse and smell and do the thing.. ridiculous to state this as a headline LOL
Amazon are killing retail speaking as a retail employee
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