Bookstores hard hit during the pandemic
TT 
Many bookstores have been forced to close during the pandemic. Stock Photography.Picture: Amir Nabizadeh/TT Most bookstores in Europe were forced to close during the corona pandemic and the so-called closures, according to a compilation by the European Book Dealers' Association, EIBF, writes Svensk Bokhandel. data from member associations in 17 countries, including the United States. And 88 percent of bookstores have been forced to close for some period. Half of those surveyed state that sales decreased compared to 2019. In Italy and Slovakia, sales fell by 15 percent, in Portugal by 17 percent and in Russia by as much as 40 percent. In other countries, however, sales rose, for example in Sweden, by 8 percent. At the same time, sales in physical bookstores decreased by 19 percent. At the same time, all countries have offered government support to affected businesses. In a third of the countries, such as Germany and France, targeted support was also given to physical bookstores. In a couple of countries, campaigns were launched to emphasize the importance of bookstores.