BOOKSHOP.ORG WINS B-CORP 2022 BEST FOR THE WORLD
The book buying website has received the recognition for its exceptional impact on the book retail industry. Bookshop.org has generated over £2.2 million for indie bookshops since it launched in November 2020.
Best for the World is a distinction granted by B Lab to Certified B Corporations (B Corps) whose verified B Impact Scores in the five impact areas evaluated in the B Impact Assessment — community, customers, environment, governance, and workers — rank in the top 5% of all B Corps in their corresponding size group.
Bookshop.org earned this honour because of initiatives such as its commitment to sustainable and ethical shopping, its carbon neutral certification which means every single book delivery made in the UK has its carbon emissions offset and its continuous support of independent bookshops across the country. Every year, Best for the World recognises the top-performing B Corps creating the greatest positive impact through their businesses.
Nicole Vanderbilt, Managing Director of Bookshop.org UK, said “Receiving the distinction of Best for the World by B Corp is beyond what we could have expected when Bookshop.org launched just 18 months ago. The site launched to offer a way of supporting small businesses in a world where two out of three books are bought online in the UK, mostly through Amazon. Our commitment is to a socially conscious shopping experience that benefits booksellers and customers.
“My hope is that our recognition as an example of the benefits of an ethical and sustainable book retail ecosystem inspires others across the industry to reflect on what actions they could take to help our independent bookshops stay open and thrive.”
“Each Best for the World edition is an opportunity to raise the bar for how businesses can and should operate to create real and lasting positive impact for their workers, customers, communities, and the environment,” said Dan Osusky, Head of Standards and Insights at B Lab Global. “While no company is perfect and even the best companies can and should continue to strive to improve, the B Corps recognised as Best for the World can provide us all — standards setters, B Corps, non-B Corps, and sustainability advocates — with inspiration on what true leadership in business can look like to make progress on addressing our current global challenges.”