The decline in second-hand booksellers has accelerated over the last three years, falling from 1,200 to just 600, according to figures obtained by The Independent.

Such a decrease is explained by the massive rise in popularity and continued success of online booksellers, ranging from antiquarian book vendor Abebooks, to the likes of eBay and Amazon.

The second-hand book trade, now estimated to be worth upwards of £60million, has migrated from the high street and onto the Internet, thanks to advances in technology and the global audience exclusive to the Web.

Reflecting on the demise of second-hand bookshops across Britain, John Critchley, of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, said it was an inevitable but painful situation.

“It is terribly sad that you can no longer go and browse,” he said, speaking to The Independent. “But it is an inevitable side-effect of the internet being a much cheaper way to operate.”

Posted: 11|3|05 at 8:35 am. Filed under: UK News.