Many have praised owners Matt Steele and Wynnie Ng who opened the Devon indie bookshop last year for their creative flair.
Alex de Berry of NBT stated how the Ivybridge Bookshop’s “Beautifully creative window displays, knowledgeable hand-selling, and welcoming environment has quickly made them a highly valued addition to the Ivybridge high street. The overall growth in the independent bookshop sales in the final quarter of 2021 is a clear testament to the strength of the sector and the vital role bookshops play as cornerstones of their communities.”
The bookshop is granted a hamper to share amongst the team, a trophy, and a promotion to more than 400,000 book lovers via NBT’s marketing platform, Caboodle.
NBT reveals that in December 2021 independent booksellers in the UK sold a higher value of National Book Tokens gift cards than ever before, driven by bookseller initiatives, growth in overall store numbers, and the enduring popularity of National Book Tokens among independent bookshop customers.
Now in their third year, the NBT’s Newcomer of the Year Award is given to new bookshops based on their first year’s sales performance. The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh was the inaugural winner. In 2021, Darling Reads in West Yorkshire and Maldon Books in Essex were named joint winners.