Hive – A bookish alternative to Amazon

A few weeks ago, I posted 5 Alternatives to Buying Books on Amazon and in the days following, a friend introduced me to a website called Hive.

And I can’t get enough of it. It’s such a fantastic alternative to Amazon when it comes to buying books and I’m here today to tell you why.

Shopping online is super convenient and, hell, even advisable during these scary times, but the honest truth is that the more we shop online, the more likely independent shops without an online presence are to go out of business. Us bookworms love nothing more than visiting a physical bookshop. There’s just something magical about the experience; all those shelves groaning under the weight of stories eager to be read, all those worlds – fictional and non-fictional alike – waiting to be explored, and all those characters waiting to be acquainted with us. A world without bookshops would be a very sad one indeed, which is why Hive, despite being an online bookshop, supports independent bookshops on the high street. A percentage of each sale goes to an independent bookshop and, better yet, you can even choose which shop your purchase will be supporting. I chose the below bookshop when purchasing the sequel to Before the coffee gets cold.

Standard delivery within the UK is absolutely free, which is great for those on a budget. Don’t worry, though, international bookworms. Hive also deliver overseas, although this has been temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If you’d rather pick your new book up instore, though, Hive also offers collection from its Hive Network shops.

Buying online is quick and convenient, but as I explained before, Hive supports independent bookshops on the high street. Because of this, they actively encourage their customers to go out and buy books from physical shops, even going as far to put a bookshop finder tool on their website. All you need to do is type your postcode into the tool’s search bar and with a simple click of a button, you’ll have a list of independent Hive Network bookshops near you.

Anyone who’s been a student will know how horrifically expensive textbooks can be. Not only does Hive have a good selection of study guides, though, they also offer a 10% discount to students verified by Student Beans or Youth Discount.

When I was buying my new book this morning, I was given the option to make a small donation to Save the Children, a charity which is currently working to assist children and families affected by the 4th August explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. The charitable donation is completely optional, but it’s great to buy from a business that has a moral conscience and supports independent shops and charitable causes.

The Hive website is the definition of user friendly and this is an absolute must for me when buying online. The book menu is split into different categories, from genre to bestselling books, from new releases to award-winning books, meaning that customers don’t have to trawl through countless different pages to find what they’re looking for. Plus, if you scroll down to the website footer, there are lots of helpful links, meaning that information regarding things such as delivery costs and the returns policy are easily accessible.

Not only does Hive have a breathtakingly extensive selection of books, they also sell DVDs, CDs and stationary, plus gift items, ranging from candles to tote bags. Streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix are, to use the word for a third time, convenient, but there’s nothing quite like owning a physical copy of a movie or an album, is there?

So, there we have it, all the reasons why Hive is a fantastic bookish alternative to Amazon. Have you used Hive before? What’s your favourite independent bookshop? Let me know in the comments!

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