‘Big internet hug’: Used bookstore swamped with orders after tweet reporting no sales

“Tumbleweed … Not a single book sold today … £0.00 … We think think this maybe the first time ever,” the store tweeted. “We know its miserable out but if you’d like to help us out please find our Abebooks offering below, all at 25% off at the moment.”

The tweet went viral, gathering nearly 18,000 likes and 9,000 retweets by Friday afternoon. Dozens of orders, altogether worth over $1,300, poured into the store because of the tweet, putting the bookstore behind schedule but promising to fulfill each customer’s order.

“What a night! We have been completely overwhelmed in a good way. We have 1,100 new followers. We have loads of online book orders,” the store tweeted on Thursday. “We have over 300 messages, many asking after books. We will answer all as soon as we can, please bear with us. Thank you all so much!”

The bookstore’s managing director, John Westwood, also thanked old and new customers for the support after the viral “tumbleweed” tweet and described the inundation of online attention as “a big internet hug” in an NPR radio interview on Thursday. “We’re going to enjoy it while it lasts,” he added.

“It has been overwhelming, mind-blowing, and very humbling. Book lovers are a very special people, and everyone has been so supportive,” Westwood said. “I’ve carried on this store for my father — if you want to be rich, you don’t go into the book industry. Books are special things, and nothing beats going into a bookstore.”

The Petersfield Bookshop was started in 1918 by Harry Roberts, a doctor who helped set up the precursor to Britain’s National Health Service.