About 422 new independent bookstores opened in the United States in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association. The figure was 31% higher than the number of new independent bookstores that opened in 2024, the association reported.

Independent bookstores are a segment of the broader independent business landscape. Independent businesses can focus on specialized niche markets more easily than larger companies, and they make operational decisions more quickly. They can also adapt more quickly by adding or removing product lines or services and by hiring or dismissing staff faster than larger companies. Independent businesses can choose whether or not to expand.

Independent businesses tend to have stronger connections with their communities, leading to greater loyalty and attention to promotions and events such as Small Business Saturday and National Small Business Week. Small businesses sponsor Little League teams, hold charity events, and lead local chambers of commerce and rotary clubs. Some suppliers and landlords prefer to work with small businesses because they deal directly with the owner and payments are often more reliable.

Consumers support local small businesses as a way to show care for their communities, even when prices are slightly higher, and increasingly choose small businesses as a reaction against big corporations. Small businesses employ half of the country's workforce, and small business owners earn on average about $80,000 a year.

Independent business owners also face challenges. They face greater impacts from inflation, tariffs, regulations, and taxes than larger companies. Advertising agencies, public relations firms, online platforms, and social media sites tend to prioritize clients with larger budgets over small businesses. Independent business owners have fewer resources, higher stress levels, and are more affected by disruptive technology and economic shifts than larger companies. They also find it harder to formalize standards, processes, procedures, and systems.