Shakespeare and Company

What Shakespeare and Company does

Shakespeare and Company is an independent English-language bookstore located at 37 rue de la Bûcherie in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, opposite Notre-Dame Cathedral on the banks of the Seine. Founded in 1951 by George Whitman and now run by his daughter Sylvia Whitman with David Delannet, the company operates as a Société d'Exploitation (SAS) selling fiction, children's, non-fiction, rare books, and Shakespeare-related titles both in-store and via a worldwide e-commerce platform. Beyond core book retail, the business operates an adjacent café opened in 2015 at 35 rue de la Bûcherie, sells branded merchandise through partnerships with manufacturers such as Hindbag, Dream Act, and Kinto, and runs three ancillary programs: the Tumbleweed writer residency (hosting approximately 20 unpublished writers per year from thousands of applicants and over 30,000 cumulative since 1951), the €285 annual Year of Reading subscription, and a publishing arm producing Shakespeare and Company Editions. Free literary events featuring authors including Zadie Smith, Don DeLillo, Colson Whitehead, Leïla Slimani, and Karl Ove Knausgaard drive community engagement, with podcast recordings extending reach globally.

The company monetizes through six distinct streams: book sales (one-time, price-fixed under the French Lang Law), café revenue (specialty coffee, teas, pastries), merchandise (tote bags, notebooks, pins, posters, apparel), the Year of Reading recurring subscription, used book purchasing from individuals at €0.50-€2.00 per unit, and gift vouchers (€15-€100). Distribution combines a single physical flagship with high tourist footfall, an e-commerce storefront shipping to approximately 60+ countries with tracked international delivery and Mondial Relay coverage across 8 European nations, and Click & Collect. Payment processing is handled by BNP Paribas (Axepta) with PayPal and Apple Pay alternatives. The customer base spans Paris tourists, anglophone residents, online international buyers, rare book collectors, and Tumbleweed residency applicants.

The technology stack is intentionally light: a standard e-commerce platform, Spill.net hosting, Gardners bibliographic data, and standard payment integrations with no proprietary AI, no public APIs, and no mobile applications. Marketing relies on the inherent press interest generated by 70+ years of literary heritage, supplemented by a monthly newsletter, social channels on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and YouTube, plus free podcast distribution of recorded author events. Strategic support comes from French cultural institutions including the Centre National du Livre (CNL) and the France Relance government recovery program.

Name

Shakespeare and Company

Legal name

Société d'exploitation de la Librairie Shakespeare and Company

Website

https://shakespeareandcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shakespeare and Company is an independent English-language bookstore in Paris, founded 1951, selling fiction, rare books, and merchandise to tourists, anglophone readers, and online customers in 60+ countries, supplemented by an on-site café, literary events, a writer residency, and a €285 annual book subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Bookstore & Literary Retail

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores (CRALAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA), Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

Keywords

• Independent bookstore
• English language books
• Literary events
• Book subscription
• Writer residency

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sales of new books across multiple categories including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children's books, young adult, rare books, and Shakespeare and Company Editions. Books are sold both in-store and online with worldwide shipping.
2. Merchandise and Gifts: Sale of branded merchandise including tote bags, notebooks, pins, keyrings, postcards, tumblers, and clothing items. Products feature literary themes and bookshop branding.
3. Café Revenue: The Shakespeare and Company Café opened in 2015 offers specialty coffee, teas, and pastries. Located at 35 rue de la Bûcherie, it extends the artistic and bohemian spirit of the bookstore.
4. Year of Reading Subscription: A yearly subscription bundle priced at €285, containing 12 selected titles from booksellers' favourite contemporary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and overlooked classics, accompanied by Shakespeare and Company surprises. Dispatched in three parcels in April, August, and December.
5. Used Book Purchasing: The company buys used books from customers, primarily paperbacks and softcovers, at rates typically between €0.50-€1.00 for paperbacks and €1.00-€2.00 for hardbacks.
6. Gift Vouchers: In-store gift vouchers available for purchase (€15-€100) valid for one year from date of purchase. Redeemable for books, tote bags, notebooks, and postcards in-store only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shakespeare and Company is an independent English-language bookshop in Paris selling new and antiquarian books across fiction, children's, non-fiction, rare books and exclusive Editions, complemented by branded gifts and merchandise. It runs a year-round programme of free literary events with author readings (available as podcasts), the Tumbleweed writer residency, and an on-site café serving specialty coffee, tea and pastries. A dedicated "Year of Reading" annual subscription bundle of 12 curated titles is sold alongside one-off books and merchandise via the physical store and a worldwide-shipping e-commerce site.

Product overview

Shakespeare and Company operates as an independent English-language bookstore in Paris with a multi-channel offering. The core product is books across diverse categories (Fiction, Children's, Non-Fiction, Rare Books, Shakespeare editions), supported by a subscription service called 'Year of Reading' (285 EUR yearly) offering curated title selections. The business extends through a Café serving specialty beverages, a literary events programme with author readings available via podcast, and the Tumbleweed Programme providing writer residencies. Merchandise includes branded items such as tote bags, notebooks, posters, apparel, and limited-edition prints. The company also publishes the 'Shakespeare and Company History Booklet' and sells gift vouchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Year of Reading: A book subscription including 12 titles from booksellers' favourite contemporary fiction, new non-fiction, poetry and overlooked classics, accompanied by Shakespeare and Company surprises
• Tumbleweed Programme
• Shakespeare and Company Editions
• Shakespeare and Company Café

Products and services

• Books (General Inventory) English-language books across categories including Fiction, Children's, Non-Fiction, Shakespeare, French Lit & Interest, Rare Books, and more; available both in-store at the Paris flagship and online with worldwide shipping.
• Shakespeare and Company Editions Exclusive special editions and curated publications produced by the bookshop under its own publishing imprint.
• Rare Books / Antiquarian Books Rare, antiquarian and first-edition English-language books sold through the Antiquarian bookshop within the Paris flagship and the online Rare Books catalogue (e.g. The Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies by James Joyce at €950).
• Year of Reading Subscription An annual subscription bundle priced at €285/year that delivers 12 titles selected from booksellers' favourite contemporary fiction, new non-fiction, poetry and overlooked classics, plus Shakespeare and Company surprises, in three parcels (April, August, December).
• Shakespeare and Company Café On-site café at 35 rue de la Bûcherie, Paris, serving specialty coffee, fine teas and local pastries (Mon–Sun 9:00–19:00, weekends 9:30–20:00).
• Literary Events & Podcasts Free, open-to-all literary events featuring world-renowned authors (Zadie Smith, Don DeLillo, Colson Whitehead, Leïla Slimani, Rachel Cusk, George Saunders, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Jeanette Winterson), with recordings made available as a podcast series for those who cannot attend in person.
• Tumbleweed Programme (Writer Residency) A residency programme for unpublished writers offering free accommodation in a studio within the bookshop building in Paris, typically for one week to one month; approximately 20 writers accommodated per year from thousands of applications.
• Gift Vouchers In-store gift vouchers available in denominations from €15 to €100, valid for 12 months from purchase and redeemable for books, tote bags, notebooks and postcards in-store only.
• Burgundy Façade Tote Bag Classic white organic-cotton tote bag silkscreened with burgundy ink featuring the main shop and Antiquarian shop illustrations, with interior pocket; contributes to 1% for the Planet.
• Writer's Essentials Bundle Bundle at €46 combining a Kaweco ballpoint pen, a pocket notebook with gold foil print, and a silkscreened drawstring pochette.
• Miracles by Walt Whitman (Letterpress Poster) Limited-edition letterpress poster (90 copies) featuring Walt Whitman's poem "Miracles" from Leaves of Grass, printed on handmade paper.
• To Go Tumbler Vacuum-insulated tumbler manufactured by Kinto with heat and cold retention, laser engraved in Paris with exclusive Shakespeare and Company Café design featuring Notre-Dame view.
• Austen Blue Denim Tote Tote bag created for Jane Austen's 250th birthday, made from recycled cotton, featuring a Jane Austen quote and the Shakespeare and Company name.
• An Afternoon at the Bookshop Poster Illustrated poster depicting the bookshop façade with animals browsing for books, printed on heavy card stock at €20; produced with Art & Caractère.
• Shakespeare and Company History Booklet 36-page pamphlet by Sylvia Whitman recounting the history of George Whitman's Parisian bookshop, with archival materials and photographs; produced with Art & Caractère.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supportive and core.

• Centre National du Livre (CNL)supportiveOthersThe French National Book Centre provides support to Shakespeare and Company as part of their mission to promote reading and literary culture in France. The partnership helps sustain the bookstore's operations and cultural programming.
• France RelancesupportiveOthersFrench government recovery program providing support to the bookshop, helping sustain operations during and after the pandemic period.
• Axepta BNP ParibascoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment services partner processing credit card and debit card transactions on the website. Provides secure payment infrastructure including 'Verified by Visa' and 'MasterCard SecureCode' programs.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationAccepts PayPal payments including interest-free installment payments in 4x for customers in France.
• GardnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides bibliographic database information for the online catalog, enabling comprehensive book listings and availability information.
• Spill.netcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite hosting company providing technical infrastructure for the operation of shakespeareandcompany.com.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Strand Bookstore: New York City landmark independent bookshop famous for '18 miles of books', a notable rare book room, author events, and branded merchandise — shares the iconic indie + rare books + events + merch model.
• Foyles: Major UK independent English-language bookshop chain with flagship stores (including Charing Cross), events programming, and an online store shipping internationally — directly comparable retail and e-commerce footprint.
• Hatchards: London's oldest bookshop (founded 1797), operating a flagship Piccadilly store with rare books, gifts, and a literary events reputation — directly comparable historic English-language bookshop.
• Powell's City of Books: Iconic independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, operating a flagship retail store plus online sales worldwide, with rare and used book sections, author events, and a strong literary brand — directly analogous business model at larger scale.
• Tattered Cover Book Store: Denver-based independent bookstore with multiple locations, strong literary events programming, rare book focus, and an online store — directly comparable indie multi-revenue model.
• Daunt Books: London-based independent English-language bookshop chain famous for its galleried Edwardian Marylebone store, literary travel sections, events programme, and curated browsing experience — closely comparable concept and customer to Shakespeare and Company.
• Libreria Acqua Alta: Iconic Venice independent bookstore famous as a literary travel destination, with gondola and bathtub book displays plus online worldwide shipping — directly analogous 'destination bookstore' model, geography notwithstanding.
• Atlantis Books: Independent English-language bookshop on Santorini, founded by recent graduates, that combines literary community, events, and online sales — similar indie + travel + community positioning to Shakespeare and Company.
• City Lights Booksellers: Historic San Francisco Beat Generation bookstore and publisher, operating a bookstore, publisher arm, and event space with worldwide reputation as a literary landmark — very close parallel in cultural positioning and publishing-adjacent activity.

Broad incumbents

• Waterstones: UK high street English-language bookstore chain with hundreds of stores and a strong online offering — broader incumbent operating in the same retail category but as a chain rather than a single iconic flagship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Shakespeare_Co
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Shakespeareandcompanybookshop
• Facebookfacebook.com/shakespeareandcoparis
• Instagraminstagram.com/shakespeareandcoparis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shakespeare and Company