indie bookstore entrepreneur IDEAS, INSPIRATION, BEST PRACTICES autumn 2015 In this Issue Show and Sell School Book Fairs Working Smarter Rethinking Categories Fabulous Finds Time for a Store Makeover? Training for new bookstore owners & managers Owning a Bookstore, A Workshop Retreat April 5-8, 2016 Add to the Momentum Yet another journalist has been in touch wanting to know about new bookstores; this time, he wanted a list of stores in major U.S. Cities for a luxury travel guide. Yes, indies make travel (and life!) much more interesting! The popularity of indie booksellers is on the rise. Growing your business is all about finding ways to make meaningful connections ... serving customers with love and care. Let's look at some ways to get better, smarter, and have fun in the bookstore. opportunities abound. Show and Sell t-shirts and textiles Organic cotton t-shirts, literary images, soft fabrics and fun graphics ... t-shirts are selling in so many bookstores ... for all ages.
Transcript
indie bookstore entrepreneur
IDEAS, INSPIRATION, BEST PRACTICES
autumn 2015
In this Issue
Show and SellSchool Book FairsWorking Smarter
Rethinking CategoriesFabulous Finds
Time for a StoreMakeover?
Training for new
bookstore owners & managers
Owning a Bookstore,
A Workshop Retreat
April 5-8, 2016
Add to the Momentum
Yet another journalist hasbeen in touch wanting toknow about newbookstores; this time, hewanted a list of stores inmajor U.S. Cities for aluxury travel guide.
Yes, indies make travel (and life!) much moreinteresting!
The popularity of indie booksellers is on the rise.Growing your business is all about finding ways tomake meaningful connections ... servingcustomers with love and care. Let's look at someways to get better, smarter, and have fun in thebookstore.
opportunities abound.
Show and Sell
t-shirts and textiles
Organic cotton t-shirts, literary images, soft fabricsand fun graphics ... t-shirts are selling in so manybookstores ... for all ages.
professional merchandisingskills that will enhance thecustomer's experience:
Identify the mostvaluable retail real estatethroughout the store whereyou already have yourcustomers' attention
Create displays that sellMake sections come aliveShare your love of books
with shelf-talkers and thepersonal touch
This 30 minute video canbe shown during a staffmeeting or used with everynew hire.
Many booksellers are selling the literary tees fromOut of Print Clothing. We also like LibertyGraphics, an environmentally mindful t-shirtcompany based in Maine.
You'll find onesies and a collection of t-shirts foryouth and adults with images from RobertMcCluskey's Blueberries for Sal and Make Way forDucklings. Plus, you'll find earth art, theconstellations, outdoor scenes, Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigns, animals, botanicals, and more.
Don't forget Wonder-Shirts ... such a fun vendorwith so many of our favorite storybook characters.
Display Solutions for Tees, Totes, & Scarves
Like everything else in retail, t-shirts won't sellunless you can see the front image and feel thequality of the fabric.
Here's thefocal pointdisplay at KingCity Books, inMt. Vernon,Illinois.
Notice that thetote bags andscarves canalso be easilyseen andshopped.
Using three ladders, you can create a fun andearthy display to help you face-out your product.
... and finding a newowner when it's time tobegin your next chapter,booksellers count on us,knowing we are devotedto supporting strong andstable, creative andvibrant indie bookstores.
Your first 20 minuteconsultation is free, sogive us a call at904.277.2664. We'd loveto work with you!
Warm regards,
Mark & Donna Paz Kaufman
The Bookstore Training Group ofPaz & Associates
You order in bulkfor in-store pick-up.
It's a win/win ...families get a wideselection of books,the school gets aportion of theproceeds of thisextra "bonus" fundraiser, and you buildrelationships with people who value education andlearning.
Ready-to-go book fair materials...
Gwyn and JamieRidenhour, adynamic and book-loving duo that tookover the customernewsletter servicefrom Paz &Associates earlierthis year, haveformed Matchbook Marketing, a small businessdedicated to helping booksellers buildrelationships within their communities. They'll helpwith everything from logos to websites, socialmedia and print promotions too. Their book fairmaterials can help you launch a serious effort toreach out to schools.
Matchbook Marketing offers a four-page book faircatalog that features fun cover images and blurbswith an order form on the back page. Each catalogcan be customized for the age group you want andcan feature your logo, contact information, storephotos, and even events.
Better yet ... you can ask Matchbook Marketing topre-select the titles to maximize your co-opreimbursement.
Tell yourParent/Teacherorganizations that youcan offer a fundraiserwith the best booksfrom a variety ofpublishers!
And, you can obtain the "Wish List" of the schoollibrarian and teachers to ask if families would bewilling to purchase one more item for the school.
Think about the hundreds (maybe thousands) ofchildren and families you can reach. MatchbookMarketing makes it easy for you to pursue thisopportunity.
build businessby building relationships.
Working Smarter
John Gaylord on labeling books
You might be reluctant to add this step duringreceiving, but keep reading ...
Printing and applying labels to your newly receivedbooks will sharpen your product handling, increasesales, and increase your bottom line.
The value of information at your fingertips:
Category Code.How many times doesyour POS system report atitle on hand, but the bookcannot be found? It'sespecially irritating whenthis results in a lost sale.
By including your store category code on the label(under price in the example above), you can relyon accurate shelf placement. When you're buying,you designate the category and the label is thequick and easy reference. Even an inexperiencedstaff member can shelve books accurately - andquickly.
Date Last Received.No matter how diligent you are in pulling deadstock from a returns report, titles get missed in theprocess. A regular inspection of the last receiveddate on each book label will uncover those titlesthat fell through the cracks. You can even vary thecolor of your label stock by calendar quarter tomake this an easier and faster routine.
It's so easy to grab the oldest copy for return.
Make it part of the routine: minimal cost & timeRemovable labels can be purchased for less thana penny per label.
Very little additional effort is needed in thereceiving process.
Check with your POS vendor to determinewhether it will accommodate “license plate”receiving: a single scan of the vendor’s cartonbarcode will automatically produce labels for all ofthe books in the box and receive those titlesagainst any purchase order that is represented.
Another benefit ... if your vendor is over or shorton your order, you will immediately know once allof the books have been labelled.
work smarter with processesthat facilitate better
inventory management.
Rethinking Categories
Gift books all year long
Although we know that books are the greatest gift,how well are we displaying and merchandisingthat message in the store?
We tend to pay attention during the Decemberholidays, but the scope of the opportunity isenormous.
Look at all the special occasions ... Some are happy, others not so much, but there's abook for every occasion... and they are happening
in your community every day of the year:
Wedding EngagementBridal Showers
WeddingsAnniversaries
Milestone AnniversariesLove
PregnancyBaby Showers
Welcome New BabyAdoption
Religious celebrations (like baptisms, Bar/BatMitzvahs)
Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdaysMilestone Birthdays
Off to CollegeFirst Apartment
New Home / New NeighborHost/Hostess Gifts
New Job / PromotionGreat Job!
DivorceIllness
Hospital StaySympathy
Pet Sympathy
Friendship"Just because"
Plus all of the holidaysand seasonal celebrations!
Celebrate with your customers
Most of ourcelebrations aredelightfully happymoments. Why notshare the joy withour customers?
Displays, props, gift wrapped boxes ...
Whether you create aspecial display with a fewprops, add a shelf-talker toa section, or simplyadd beautifully gift-wrapped boxes throughoutthe store, you are doingone important thing:
Reminding customersyou are the destination forgreat gifts.
promote books as giftsevery day of the year.
Fabulous Finds
We love paper things! Most booklovers do.
That's All Greetings.
Their mission is to "Say itlike it is. That's all." Theybelieve in cutting to thechase and finding humor inour everyday lives.
Your customers will laughout loud. And you willtoo once you've readthrough the simple,straight-forward, andsometimes irreverentmessages craftedby That's All Greetings.$1.99 & $2.99 (retail).
Seattle-based and family-owned, LaughingElephant offers greeting cards, French notebooks,notecards, paper gifts, vintage luggage labels...retro and very sweet.
Greeting cards covereveryday greetings inevery category as well asholiday.$3 to $3.50 (retail).
Christmas cards areavailable as individualcards as well as boxed. 15cards for $9.95 to $12.95(retail).
Laughing Elephant is anespecially wonderfulvendor for juvenilenotebooks. $1.95 to $9.95(retail).
Ingram now representsLaughing Elephant throughIngram Publisher Services.
Vintage Girl Designs.
Michelle DeFillipo, a full-time artist and mother ofthree, received her art degree from East CarolinaUniversity and launched her card company in2001. Her designs evolve from her words intounique and colorful collages.
The company's tagline reads, "Inspiration throughwords, paint, and paper."
You'll also find deskplaques ($20 retail),pendants ($26),bookmarks ($3), mugsin beautiful gift boxes($12) and more atVintage Girl Designs.
create delightfuldiscovery.
keep customersinterested.
Time for are-do?
Store Design, Fixtures & LightingLiz Dion, the store designer and architect on our team,partners with Donna Paz Kaufman to transform bookstores.We love to repurpose items and believe that by using ourresources and creativity, we can stretch a limited budgetand go a long way to give a bookstore new vitality.
