Tim Godfray, the chief executive of the Booksellers Association, which represents independent bookshops, said: "These are very difficult times for bookselling and high street retailing in general. While the overall picture in terms of the number of independent booksellers in the UK is still one of contraction, we continue to do as much as we can to support booksellers, whose presence on the high street makes such an essential contribution to culture in the UK."