In the age of Amazon, where items can be delivered to your doorstep through the tap of a screen, local businesses tend to escape the minds of consumers. What’s more, convenience combined with the low costs the site has to offer has led to the company’s ubiquitous presence within society. This prevalence extends into every facet of the community, but one industry in particular seems to be heavily affected: bookstores. You may live in an area where there are an abundance of local bookstores, but more often than not, cities and even entire counties lack this staple small business.
In Orange County, for example, used bookstores hold a feeble presence, but that hasn’t discouraged the owner of Arvida Book Co., Sam Lorrimer Robertson’s, recent entrance into the community’s limited catalog of local used bookstores. Arvida Book Co. was born from Lorrimer Robertson’s love for reading alongside her experiences as a flight attendant leading her to form an appreciation for the local bookstores she has encountered all over the world. However, it wasn’t until she was faced with an abundance of time during quarantine that she finally took that extra step to achieve her dream of bringing a new necessity to Old Town Tustin.
When asked about the detriment that Amazon can bring to local businesses, Lorrimer Robertson launched into a well-researched monologue regarding the corruption and unethicality of the company:
“It’s really easy to ignore the whole structure of their delivery system because it creates this unrealistic expectation that things can come the next day. But it’s really not realistic because their workers are underpaid, they don’t have insurance, and they’re not even technically Amazon employees.”
Yet even with the injustice within the corporation set aside, its massive consumer base that may view their intermittent buys as trivial do not realize that every purchase directly affects their community. “If you go down that road and you don’t support your local businesses and you don’t support the ‘Mom-and-Pops,’ you’re supporting the opposite. You’re not keeping your money local and you’re not helping your neighbors. There's ultimately consequences for those choices,” Lorrimer Robertson said.
Another popular source the public turns to in the search for reading material is the nation’s largest bookstore chain, Barnes & Noble. To combat the damage of Amazon, this company at least offers minimal support to the communities of each of its locations by providing locals with employment opportunities. However, when comparing the funds Barnes & Noble and local bookstores contribute to their respective areas, a clear distinction can be made regarding which is the favorable option.
So what’s stopping the public from extending their support to their local used bookstores? If it’s a matter of price disparities, that can be understood, but remedied with the thought of where the money is going and who it will benefit. As for issues of convenience and accessibility, those are also valid concerns, yet any attempt to abstain from bolstering the corruption of the two companies mentioned above can make a difference, as does any visit to a small, independent bookstore.
Whatever the reason may be, once you see the amount of care and effort
that goes into making local used bookstores, like Arvida Book Co., a pleasant experience for all, your excuses will evaporate. “When you come in and you’re looking for something, I may not have it but I can guide you to other things that you may be interested in.
There’s a personal connection that you get in a small town bookstore that I don’t think you can get in a big box store,” Lorrimer Robinson said.
With used books coming from friends and family and new arrivals being direct requests from Tustin residents, Arvida Book Co., is nothing short of magical for local book-lovers. Lorrimer Robinson truly worked to include the essence of the city within her store in order for customers to have the most enjoyable visit possible, and she will not let all of that effort be wasted on a couple of power-hungry corporations. Thus, supporting your local used bookstores is imperative to maintain their presence within the community and to ensure that their endeavors are not forgotten. In the words of Lorrimer Robertson, “I’m not going to go out without a fight!”
Follow along with Arvida Book Co.’s journey on Instagram at @arvidabookco and on their website.
All photos courtesy of Holly Eddy.
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