Bookshop Browsing Raises Wellbeing Reveals New Survey
Nine out of 10 people who have visited a physical bookshop in the last six months say the experience improved their mood, says a new poll from the Booksellers Association.
More than three-quarters of those polled added that bookshops helped them switch off from social media and screens, and a similar number said that visiting a bookshop or attending a bookshop event helped them feel better during difficult times.
The findings come ahead of the UK's Bookshop Day and World Mental Health Day on October 10.
The Booksellers Association is asking the Government to extend targeted business rates relief to bookshops on the basis that they meet the community value test used to justify targeted support for pubs and live music venues.
“Bookshop Day is a celebration of brilliant bookshops and booksellers, and everything they bring to our lives," said Emma Bradshaw, Head of Brand and Consumer Marketing at the Booksellers Association. "They make our high streets more vibrant, bring people together and inspire us to read, but their impact goes even further. These findings show just how much bookshops can mean to us personally."
