“There is good news for those who like nothing better than to while away an afternoon browsing in a bookshop: economists believe you are helping to contribute nearly £2 billion to the economy.

The onset of Amazon and online shopping may have cut into the bookshop’s prominence on the high street but new research suggests it still has a notable impact on the UK’s GDP.

The Centre for Economics & Business Research said that bookshops can be linked to an estimated £1.9 billion of economic growth each year and to the support of 46,000 jobs. The figure includes £416 million in wages and salaries and£131 million in tax, including £12 million in corporation tax – 11 times more than Amazon.”

 

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