Pritchards Bookshop

Steve Pritchard opened his Crosby bookshop in 1975, a year after his mother and brother had started an earlier branch in Ormskirk. He chose Crosby for its schools and its readers, and the shop won Independent Bookshop of the Year in 1990. Amy Wright bought the business from Pritchard when he retired in 2021 and has since moved it to larger premises on Moor Lane. The shelves lean toward strong children's and local-interest sections, curated by staff rather than by algorithm, and the shop keeps close ties to nearby schools through author visits and book fairs. Wright still handles ordering and display herself, working directly with publishers' representatives to bring in new titles rather than relying on a central buying list. It has outlasted the arrival of chain bookshops, online retailers and e-readers on the same stretch of road.