About Book Bubble
Book Bubble was created by me, Lucie, as a way of exploring and sharing my love of books and reading.
I aim to offer UK customers an environmentally-friendly way to buy beautiful books.
The Dream
My dream is to one day open my own physical bookshop and I am working towards this every day.
I started holding Book Bubble book sales in my spare time across Norfolk & Suffolk in 2019, selling second hand books in excellent condition.
I discovered that, not only can you save money buying pre-loved books, you don't have to compromise on quality. In addition, you can do your bit to reduce your impact on the environment and you can share your love of reading with other like minded people in your own community. I enjoyed meeting other passionate readers and sharing book recommendations with them.
I also really enjoyed the process of carefully selecting, preparing, cataloguing and displaying beautiful books for others to discover. Selling the wonderful books was a real challenge at times however as I really didn’t want to let a lot of them go!
The Reality
With the arrival of lockdown and increased work commitments I was unable to continue the in-person book sales but I continued to read as much as possible and managed to sell a few books online to some of my lovely loyal customers. I found reading helped me through what was a stressful and isolating period of time. Books have always helped me, throughout my life, to feel grounded and connected, gain perspective and escape from both the everyday and extraordinary challenges in life.
I understand how difficult it is to maintain good mental health and wellbeing and how it feels to be a sensitive soul in a challenging world. I feel strongly that books and a reading community or 'bubble' can do much to support wellness, mindfulness and connectiveness. It's not always easy to be kind and supportive of yourself and others nor find time to rest and reflect but, I believe, setting aside half an hour a day to read can be a perfect way to start.
Our Environment
With an ever-growing consciousness of the impact of recent world events including the pandemic and environmental concerns, I decided I also wanted to make more of a commitment to reading and book-selling more ethically in order to reduce the detrimental impact some of our shopping habits have on the earth.
I learned that buying a used book rather than a new book results in approximately one fifth of the carbon emissions (BookFinder.com 2022). These figures relate to the US domestic used book sale market, so I would hope that the carbon emission reduction would be even more significant in the UK with fewer overall shipping miles covered.
As The Book Family Rogerson explain, 'As a general rule of thumb, buying second-hand books is the most eco-conscious way to acquire books..' (2021)
I'm not saying there isn't a place for (and good reason to choose) new books and other ways of reading such as libraries and book swapping when possible, but as Penguin point out, 'if you’re after a book that isn’t brand new, chances are you’ll be able to find it at a second-hand book shop or online, where for the most you can choose an environmentally friendly postage option. Plus, if you’re buying an old book, you’re saving it from landfill…' (2022)
I package all books in recyclable or compostable packaging and encourage you to reutilise the packaging materials in any way you can after your receive your books. I continue to research and improve my packaging choices as my business develops to further reduce the impact on our environment and am working towards 100% home compostable and vegan packaging as soon as possible.
I discourage the shipping of small fast-track packages and offer free P&P on orders over £20 which should mean we send fewer parcels overall, making online shopping for your books even more ethical.
I have also chosen to use Royal Mail for our postage service as they have the lowest carbon emissions in the UK compared with other delivery companies. (Royal Mail 2022)
The Plan
I launched my website and online Book Bubble Book Shop in August 2022 offering carefully chosen pre-loved books in fabulous condition for everyone across the UK to browse anytime from their own home.
Customers can buy individual titles but are encouraged to buy more than one or two books at a time or opt for Book Gift Boxes and Book Club Subscription for better value for money and a lower carbon footprint.
I decided to offer free postage and packaging for orders of £20 or more to help reduce costs for customers but also to discourage multiple small parcels being sent unnecessarily. I also decided to limit sales and postage to the UK only for the same reason.
I look forward to further expanding my product range in the future as I learn more and respond further to customer needs and environmental priorities. I care very much about my customers' experiences and the planet and always strive to do the best job I can and to offer great quality books and a fantastic reading experience.
I realised my dream of opening a physical bookshop in Old Buckenham, Norfolk in December 2023 and am loving connecting with book lovers in my local community. You can find out more about Old School Bookshop, Old Buckenham here.
Get In Touch
I am always open to learning from others, so please do get in touch if you have any ideas about how I can continue to develop a more responsive, compassionate and ethical business in the future.
I would also love to hear from you about what books you are reading and any recommendations you have for us and our other customers. You can contact us here.
You can sign up to be kept updated about our books, news and offers here.
With Hope and Kindness,
Lucie
References:
BookFinder 1997-2022, BookFinder.com, 'READuce, READuse, READcycle: Help save the planet, choose used books.', accessed 10 July 2022, <https://www.bookfinder.com/books/green_used_books/>
The Book Family Rogerson 2021, thebookfamilyrogerson.com, 'A Handy Guide to Eco=Conscious Book Buying In A Confusing World', accessed 10 July 2022, <https://www.thebookfamilyrogerson.com/2021/11/12/eco-conscious-book-buying/>
Penguin 2022, penguin.co.uk, 'How to be a more environmentally friendly reader.', accessed 10 July 2022, <https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2022/04/environmentally-friendly-green-reader-books-consumers>
Royal Mail 2022, royalmail.com, ‘Sustainability at Royal Mail’, accessed 14 August 2022, <https://www.royalmail.com/sustainability>