Bookshop
Bookshop.org is a private, mission-driven online bookstore that sells physical books, e-books, and gift cards through its website and mobile apps, directing more than 80% of profit margin to a network of 2,500+ independent bookstores across the US and UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Bookshop does
Bookshop.org is a private, mission-driven e-commerce platform founded in 2018-2019 by Andy Hunter and headquartered in Brooklyn, that operates as an online bookstore channeling more than 80% of its profit margin to a network of over 2,500 independent bookstores across the United States and the United Kingdom. The platform sells physical books, DRM-free e-books, gift cards, and bulk orders through bookshop.org and free iOS and Android applications, and directs every order to a consumer-selected partner bookstore that receives the majority of the margin.
The underlying technology is a standard web e-commerce stack paired with native mobile apps that support e-book reading, augmented by a bookstore affiliate routing system ("Choose a Bookstore"), referral and affiliate programs, and publisher promotional catalogs. Notable integrations include a Spotify partnership that places physical book purchasing inside the Spotify app via a "Get a copy for your bookshelf" button (launched April 2026 on Android), Spotify's Page Match cross-format reading sync, and a Draft2Digital partnership that introduces up to 1.2 million self-published e-book titles from approximately 330,000 indie authors into the marketplace.
Bookshop.org monetizes through transaction fees on book sales, a 15% affiliate fee on Spotify-routed purchases, and a marketplace commission on Draft2Digital-distributed e-books, while distributing the bulk of profit margin to partner bookstores. The company is B Corp and Climate Neutral certified, has raised approximately $3.2M in disclosed funding (across 2020 and 2023 rounds), and is led by founder/CEO Andy Hunter with Nicole Vanderbilt serving as UK Managing Director. As of early 2026, the platform has cumulatively directed $48,714,935.73 to local bookstores.
Bookshop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bookshop
- Legal name
- Bookshop.org
- Website
- https://bookshop.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bookshop.org is a private, mission-driven online bookstore that sells physical books, e-books, and gift cards through its website and mobile apps, directing more than 80% of profit margin to a network of 2,500+ independent bookstores across the US and UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bookshop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Book Retail
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)
- SIC
- Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Bookstores (New Books) (CRALAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Books & Audiobooks Retail (E-books/Audiobooks) (CRALAAAI)
Keywords
Where Bookshop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Bookshop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
Revenue model
- Book Sales Commission: Bookshop.org earns revenue from book sales made through its platform, with the majority of profit margin (over 80%) directed to independent bookstores while retaining a portion for operations
- Spotify Affiliate Fees: Bookshop.org earns a 15% affiliate fee on physical book purchases made through the Spotify app integration, creating a new revenue stream from Spotify's audiobook users
- Self-Published E-book Distribution: Partnership with Draft2Digital allows Bookshop.org to sell self-published e-books, with bookstores earning 100% of ebook profits from these titles
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Book Pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Referral Discount Program |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Publisher Promotional Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Bookshop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore that sells physical books and ebooks through its website and native mobile apps. The platform directs over 80% of its profit margin to a network of 2,500+ partner independent bookstores in the United States and United Kingdom, while also integrating with Spotify (audiobook-to-print referrals) and Draft2Digital (self-published ebook distribution) to broaden its catalog.
Product overview
Bookshop.org is an online bookselling platform offering both physical and digital books (e-books), operating as a B Corp and Climate Neutral certified company that prioritizes supporting independent bookstores. The core offering consists of a website and mobile apps (iOS and Android) where customers purchase books, with the platform directing over 80% of profit margin to approximately 2,500 independent bookstores. The company also operates an affiliate program, gift cards, bulk sales, and partnerships with Spotify (for physical book sales through Spotify's app) and Draft2Digital (for self-published e-books).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- $48.7 million+ raised for local bookstores
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Bookshop
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Bookshop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Bookshop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SpotifycoreSpotify partnered with Bookshop.org to enable physical book sales within the Spotify app, allowing users in the US and UK to purchase print copies of books directly through Spotify. The feature is accessible via 'Get a copy for your bookshelf' button on audiobook pages. Spotify earns a 15% affiliate fee on sales, while purchases support independent bookstores.
- Draft2DigitalcoreBookshop.org partnered with Draft2Digital to sell self-published e-books through its platform, enabling independent bookstores to profit from self-published titles. The partnership has potential to add 1.2 million e-book titles from approximately 330,000 authors, with bookstores earning 100% of ebook profits from these titles.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bookshop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ThriftBooks: ThriftBooks is the largest online seller of used books in the US, directly comparable to Bookshop.org as an e-commerce bookstore with a distinct value-proposition (deep discount used inventory) and its own affiliate program. Both operate direct-to-consumer online bookstores outside Amazon's owned used-book storefront.
- Powell's Books: Powell's Books is a large independent bookstore with a substantial online storefront serving customers nationwide. As a flagship indie with deep used- and new-book inventory, it is a close comparable to the type of partner Bookshop.org supports, and competes directly for online book shoppers.
- Better World Books: Better World Books is a mission-driven online book retailer that funds literacy initiatives from each sale. Its social-impact-led e-commerce model and large-scale used/new book catalog closely parallel Bookshop.org's indie-bookstore-affinity positioning.
- Kobo: Kobo (Rakuten) is a global e-book and audiobook retailer with its own e-reader line and direct-to-consumer apps. It is a direct comparable for the e-book and DRM-lite distribution portion of Bookshop.org's catalog, especially relevant given the Draft2Digital self-publishing integration.
Broad incumbents
- AbeBooks: AbeBooks (owned by Amazon) operates an online marketplace for new, used, rare, and out-of-print books with a network of independent sellers — directly comparable to Bookshop.org's marketplace model of routing sales through independent bookstore partners.
- Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble is the largest physical bookstore chain in the US with a parallel online storefront and a Nook e-book platform. It is a broad incumbent competing with Bookshop.org across new physical books and e-books, though with a fundamentally different retail footprint and ownership model.
- Apple Books: Apple Books is the iOS-native e-book and audiobook store embedded across Apple's ecosystem. It is a broad incumbent competing directly with Bookshop.org's iOS app for e-book reading sessions and audiobook discovery.
- Amazon Books: Amazon is the dominant online book retailer (new, used, and Kindle) and the primary competitor Bookshop.org explicitly positions against. Overlap is direct across physical book sales, e-book distribution, and audiobook-to-print cross-sell — though Amazon's scale, logistics, and pricing power are structurally larger.
Regional players
- Booktopia: Booktopia is Australia's largest online bookstore, operating a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model selling new books plus e-books. It is highly comparable in GTM and product mix but operates only in Australia, whereas Bookshop.org is focused on US/UK.
Others
- American Booksellers Association (IndieBound / BookWeb): The ABA and its IndieBound program represent the US independent bookstore industry's trade and discovery layer. It is an industry-enabling counterpart to Bookshop.org because both exist to support indie bookstore economics — comparable in mission if not commercial product.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bookshop social profiles
Digital presenceBookshop compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Bookshop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bookshop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Bookshop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bookshop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bookshop
What does Bookshop do?
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore that sells physical books and ebooks through its website and native mobile apps. The platform directs over 80% of its profit margin to a network of 2,500+ partner independent bookstores in the United States and United Kingdom, while also integrating with Spotify (audiobook-to-print referrals) and Draft2Digital (self-published ebook distribution) to broaden its catalog.
Is Bookshop a public or private company?
Bookshop is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bookshop founded?
Bookshop was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bookshop based?
Bookshop is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bookshop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are spotify Affiliate Fees and self-Published E-book Distribution.
Who are Bookshop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ThriftBooks, Powell's Books, Better World Books and Kobo. Broad incumbents are AbeBooks, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and Amazon Books. Booktopia is listed as a regional player. American Booksellers Association (IndieBound / BookWeb) is listed as an others.
Does Bookshop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bookshop.
What industry is Bookshop in?
Bookshop's product category is Online Book Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAAAA, General Bookstores (New Books), with a secondary code of CRALAAAI, Digital Books & Audiobooks Retail (E-books/Audiobooks). Its NAICS code is 4592 and its SIC code is 5961.