Note _ first findings

After the first month of general research on topics related to bookstores I sum up the key findings:

Italy

_ Each city/area/community makes a different case study for indie bookstores, from the economical and social point of view.
_ Indie bookstores are isolated from each other both locally and nationally. They are all threatened by big chains, but they are wary of other indie bookstores nonetheless. They consider bookstores of other cities weakly relevant to their possible improvements. Nevertheless, those attitudes seem a kind of dull heritage rather than a firm belief. When questioned they show willing to meet their local colleagues.
_ They consider the subscription to sector associations (ALI) unworthy spending any money, time or effort.
_ Booksellers see themselves as culture promoters rather than booksellers.
_ Booksellers are pretty frustrated. They struggle and they do not have the time or the money to spend for business ventures. Frustration can be a source of either will or opposition to the project. I must consider that the opposition will be the prevalent.
_ Face to face relationships are dominant and essential for any future development in the field.
_ Booksellers are paper lovers, low tech people. They embrace technology only if it is necessary.

World

_ All the successful projects around books seem to share the feature "lively". Of course,  we can wonder if "lively"  comes truly before their success rather than after so I will deepen the topic.
_ Successful bookstores have a recipe. Their identity is strong, and they all specialize on something: poetry, travels, kids, second hand, art, etc