The arts are undeniably sidelined in a cost of living crisis. While books and publishing are in the middle of a retail renaissance thanks to the rise of BookTok, book buyers have more incentive than ever to buy books cheaply. Online giants such as Amazon benefit the most.
Amazon has a patchy history within the wider publishing industry, but in many ways, it may be credited with a rise in popular reading. There is evidence that Australian retail has fared moderately well in the face of the international giant, but the struggle has been tough.
