REPORTING. Faced with financial difficulties, how Ariège bookstores are reinventing themselves to become the new village squares

Weakened by the health crisis and e-commerce sites which allow access to books at any time of the day or night, bookstores are increasingly diversifying their activities, becoming real meeting places where we exchange, dance and play…

In their Mazette bookstore, in Mazères, Anna and Lucie, in their thirties, wanted to create, in addition to the reading corner, a play area where children, teenagers and adults come together for a fun moment. “Initially, our project was to create a tea room, but we realized that it was much less exciting,” says Lucie, laughing.

Like many French people at the time of the first confinement in 2020, the two friends wondered at length about their professional future. Anna, then general director of services (DGS) at the town hall, and Lucie, currently training in equestrian tourism, therefore chose to leave everything – for one Luchon, in the Pyrenees, and for the other Gironde – in order to to settle in the town of Mazères, attracted in particular by the atmosphere of the Manouch'muzik festival, an unmissable summer event. “It was important to us to create a place that is not scary and that is accessible to everyone in a rural environment,” confides Lucie, and adds: “There is still this impression that the bookstore is an elitist place .”

Their concept has appealed to all generations since the opening of the bookstore in 2022. Especially since they regularly organize reading clubs, games sessions for children and board game evenings. The bookstore then transforms into a real place of life, where we share more than just a moment of reading: relationships are created, passions are shared, and solitudes fade away. “These moments when customers talk like a baker remind us why we chose this profession: to make everyone feel at home.”

“It’s a financial pain”

If bookstores are reinventing themselves, it is also to try to make ends meet. Because for the two friends, it is difficult at the moment to earn a salary. “Sales are falling this year, impacted by the crisis and the increase in prices,” observes Lucie with a touch of bitterness, not to mention that the two managers are still learning how to manage their stock.

Not far from Mazères, in the medieval town of Mirepoix, Fabienne, 57, also expresses financial difficulties bluntly: “It's a pain, with this job, you can't get a decent salary.” For this former literature teacher, most of the time, retirees who wish to pay themselves a supplement become booksellers. She does this job above all out of passion and works part-time in a medical center in Bastide-de-Sérou.

As it is customary in Brittany to set up a coffee corner as soon as you open a bookstore, Fabienne adopted this model three years ago with 'L'Alibi' in the medieval city. Between her second-hand books, she serves coffee for one euro. A pretext, she says, for customers to take the time to read, to sneak into the shelves with their cup or drink in hand; a bit like home after all. “Some come simply to enjoy a coffee among the books,” she observes.

The bookseller also organizes reading evenings or, more rarely, concerts. “A customer was surprised to find the books cheaper with me than on an online sales site. In fact, she had forgotten that there were shipping costs. We are in a consumerist society where people want everything immediately “, she regrets, because whatever we say, we can never replace the valuable advice of professionals. “For three years now, regulars have come to see me directly instead of going to Amazon, because I know their tastes and they know that when I don't have the book I'm looking for, I can go through other booksellers. “

Coffee, ice cream and bottles of wine among the books

If there is one for whom his little bookstore reflects his spiritual journey over the years, it is Arthur, 37 years old, pushing originality even further with “Verticale” opened a year and a half ago at Carla-Bayle. Among the few children's toys, jewelry made by his partner and new books focused on spirituality, poetry, travel stories, are bottles of natural wine from local winegrowers.

A few bottles at first which ended up taking up all the space at the back of the shop. This atmosphere, both unique and friendly, does not fail to attract the attention of passers-by, like this colorful sign at the entrance to its bookstore indicating that you can also find craft beers, coffee, tea, and even for those with a sweet tooth, ice cream.

“At the very beginning, I had musical instruments and firecrackers,” he laughs. Ali Baba's cave has expanded over time. The thirty-year-old has just obtained his license 3 allowing him to offer a new concept, that of a wine bar. The perfect opportunity for customers, the manager promises, to play, read, taste local wine, all in front of a breathtaking sunset.

Despite the challenges, these independent bookstores prove that with a touch of creativity and passion, they can redefine their role and ensure that they continue. Arthur does not hesitate to reinvent himself, like other booksellers, to 'keep up' and ensure that their store is at least as profitable as possible. On the markets, bottles represent 50% of its sales. With this license, he now plans tasting evenings among the books. A beautiful promise of a timeless journey.