Briefly Noted | The Canadian Press: Indy power: Independent stores on rise as booksellers convention nears

The number of stores in the American Booksellers Association has again gone up. And they can thank, in part, the real estate bust.

“The soft real estate market absolutely works to our advantage,” says Oren Teicher, CEO of the booksellers association, which represents independent stores. “

Landlords are far more willing to negotiate for new owners and existing stores have been able to renegotiate their leases.”In a reversal from a decade ago, Borders is shutting down stores, while independents are adding them. According to the booksellers association, membership increased by 102, from 1,410 to 1,502, the biggest jump in years for an organization that had been more than cut in half by superstores, the Internet and the economy. In 2010, membership edged up from 1,401 to 1,410

via The Canadian Press: Indy power: Independent stores on rise as booksellers convention nears.