Business
Bookstore credits success to pandemic
By Marley Joseph
Self-proclaimed visionaries Janifer Wilson and Kori Wilson, a mother-daughter duo, opened Sisters Uptown Bookstore in January 2000; however, they did not see success until after the pandemic began.
They credit their survival during a period when many businesses closed, but the tally of independent bookstores such as Sisters continued to increase. According to the American Booksellers Association, there were twice as many independent bookstores in 2022 than in 2016. Just 6 percent of those stores–149 of those roughly 2,600 shops–are Black-owned, according to Wordsrated.
As from 2019 to 2020, there was a considerable jump in spending on books, both physical and digital, with the yearly revenue increasing from 12.2 billion dollars to 15 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. As Covid restrictions were lifted this jump plateaued, with the revenue the next year being 15.1 billion dollars.
However, this success has its flaws, as the American Booksellers Association highlights. They state, “[even though] independent bookstores’ online sales have increased over 600 percent since 2019, it’s clear we need to do more to lock in our gains and keep growing. The indie channel sells only about two percent of the books bought online.”
The duo’s bookstore aided to this two percent, adding a digital component to their store during the pandemic, selling books online and shipping them domestically.
Sisters aims to “provide resources for members of the community to nurture their minds, hearts, and souls,” Janifer Wilson said.
Through bringing in monthly storytellers and prioritizing the online and in-store distribution of books for marginalized groups, the Wilsons are serving their underprivileged community—to the approval of the village surrounding it.
“You want to see yourself. You’re already there,” said Amy Obonaga, a regular at Sisters, as she searched for a children’s book written in Spanish by Afro-Carribean authors.
“Black-owned bookstores are beacons of diversity and inclusivity,” wrote Daphne, founder of the blog Tough Convos, who explains the Wilsons’ work, saying that “they play an essential role in our society. These bookstores celebrate Black authors, writers, and publishers and provide a platform for amplifying the voices of those who have been marginalized by the mainstream publishing industry.”
Throughout its 24 years of existence, Located on 156th and Amsterdam Avenue, right in the heart of the Hamilton Heights neighborhood, it has operated with one woman who “took a leap of faith and brought a positive change to a crumbling community. Recognizable by its faded storefront, Sisters’ Uptown Bookstore was created 24 years ago under two mission-minded mottos: “Knowledge is Key” and “Reading is Power.”