As we understand them today, the earliest bookstores originated in the ancient world. A need emerged to distribute these documents after the development of writing and the inception of written records. This was long before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th century, revolutionizing the production and dissemination of books.

The selling of books dates back to ancient times. The founding of libraries in c.300 BC stimulated the energies of the Athenian booksellers. In Rome, toward the end of the republic, it became the fashion to have a library, and Roman booksellers carried on a flourishing trade.