The new members were spread across 32 states and the organization's growth is accelerating.
In 2016, 87 new independent bookstores opened and joined the American Booksellers Association. The new stores were spread across 32 states and the District of Columbia, and of the new openings, 21 were branches or satellites of existing businesses, according to the organization.
California had the highest number of new store openings, with nine; New York saw five new openings Also, in 2016, 15 established ABA member stores were bought by new owners.
Growth for the ABA is accelerating: in 2015, 61 new stores joined the ABA and as of May of last year, the last date from which official statistics are available, the ABA counted 1775 members.
