Lost & Bound
Used Books

Yes, we know—Amazon is fast, easy, and always just a click away. But convenience comes with a cost, and it’s one we often don’t see on the receipt. Behind the two-day shipping and digital deals is a retail giant that’s quietly reshaping our economy, our communities, and even the future of books.

This post isn’t about guilt—it’s about awareness. About choosing to invest in places and people who care about stories, not just sales. About recognizing the power of small actions (like where you buy your next book) in the face of something massive.

If you’ve ever wondered whether shopping small really makes a difference—spoiler alert: it absolutely does.

A report from economic analysis firm Civic Economics says that sales by Amazon and 3rd-party vendors accounted for 136,000 displaced retail shops in 2021 alone.

The report also estimates that in just one year Amazon sales displaced the equivalent of:

• 1,128,000,000 square feet of retail space
• 1,753,634 retail jobs

Stacy Mitchell is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its Independent Business Initiative, which produces research and analysis and partners with a broad range of allies to design and implement policies to reverse corporate concentration and strengthen local enterprise.

Here’s What You Just Did By Shopping Lost & Bound:

1. You kept dollars in our local economy. An independent bookstore recirculates 29.3% of its money locally, whereas Amazon only recirculates 5.8%.
2. You embraced what makes us unique. You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S, so why would you want your community to look that way?
3. You created local jobs. Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
4. You helped the environment. Buying from local businesses conserves fuel for transportation, requires less packaging, and – in the case of selling used books – gives a second life by recycling old materials.
5. You nurtured your community. We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains and online retailers.
6. You conserved your tax dollars. Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong—right here in your community!
7. You created more choice. We pick the items we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual markets.
8. You took advantage of our expertise. You are our friends and neighbors, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?
9. You invested in entrepreneurship. Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.
10. You made us a destination. The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors and visitors. This benefits everyone! Tourism in Jefferson County saves the average tax payer more than $600 annually!

Here’s What Amazon Just Did

1. In 2021, Amazon and third-party marketplace vendors sold $367 billion of retail goods in the U.S.
2. In 2021, Amazon displaced the equivalent of 136,000 storefronts and a net 1.1 million square feet of commercial space.
3. In 2021, by quashing the viability of local bricks-and-mortar retail, Amazon deprived thousands of communities of tax revenue necessary for schools, roads, and police and fire safety, as well as vibrant downtowns and main streets.
4. In 2021, Amazon produced a net loss of 1.7 million-plus retail jobs nationwide.
5. Amazon received the benefits of local subsidies, tax breaks, road improvements, and other government considerations to build its distribution centers, notwithstanding the net loss in jobs, property taxes, and downtown vitality.
6. Amazon’s dominance over the book industry is greater than Standard Oil’s share of the refined oil market just before it was broken up in 1911.
7. Amazon has cheapened the value of printed and electronic publishing and dampened opportunities for new authors and diverse ideas by discounting books to lower than wholesale price and bullying publishers and its marketplace sellers.
8. Amazon isn’t involved in the communities where most of its customers live.

At Lost & Bound, we believe every book deserves a second life—and every bookshop deserves a fighting chance. Shopping small, buying used, and supporting local stores isn’t just a purchase—it’s a quiet act of resistance in a world that often favors convenience over community.

Thank you for choosing to keep literature, connection, and indie bookstores alive—one shelf at a time.

Until the next chapter,
– Lyndsey, Founder of Lost & Bound

Sources: Civic Economics, Unfulfilled: Amazon and the American Retail Landscape, 2022.