Bound for an independent future

After nearly a decade of independent stores falling under the crushing weight of big box stores and retail Internet, IndieBound.com is bringing Main Street back to life.

Launched last week the new interactive community is packed with a variety of options to connect from the usual profile building to becoming an affiliate to banners and blinkies for blogs and Web sites and of course books, coffee spots, and other independent retailers and businesses. Memberships is free and for each favorite indie place tagged as a personal favorite or added to the site garners points towards gifts.

The American Bookseller’s Association’s expanded IndieBound.com’s, formerly BookSense.com, reach beyond bibliophiles to help people who love independent stores connect across the United States. IndieBound.com’s goals are for people to share and find independently-owned businesses by connecting indie-conscious people with local business, according to an e-mail announcement inviting members to sign up.

Some of IndieBound.com’s new features include:

· Sitewide search. Just type anything into the "Search IndieBound.org" box on the right side of every page, and away you go! This searches IndieBound.org pages, stores, community members, articles, and more.
· Manually Arrange Your Friends & Favorite Indie Stores. Now community members can sort their friends & favorite stores to appear in the order they choose. Just click on "ARRANGE/EDIT MY FAVORITES" or "ARRANGE/EDIT MY FRIENDS LIST" on your profile page.
· Stores Shared by Each Member. Each profile page (including your own) now includes a button you can click to see stores shared by that community member, as well as how many fans and reviews each has.

Got an indie retail story to share? IndieBound.com is accepting submissions until September 30 for stories about what makes independent retail so great. Stories can be submitted with "My Indie Experience" in the subject line to staff@indiebound.org.

For more information, visit IndieBound.