In Canada it’s extremely challenging to run a sustainable independent bookstore.
Now, this is, in part, due to the fact that a certain Canadian book conglomerate has devoured roughly 70% of the market share. Other players — Wal Mart, Loblaws (Canadian grocery store chain) — offer a standard 30% off new releases/best sellers, which also draws potential customers away.
What do Indy bookstore owners need to do to stay relevant? Well, like all good solutions, this one is fairly simple and straightforward: They need to come up with ideas that will captivate the hearts and imaginations of their customers.
So, where do we find these ideas? Once found, how do we implement them? What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Oh, wait, scratch that last one.
Okay, the first thing to do is see what’s working for other stores and adapt their ideas to your own situation. Yes, this may mean actually talking to your competition and piquing their brain, but the payoff could very well be exponential. If you’re dead set against this idea, you can check out a site like this one and borrow ideas from one of our writers.
Create some momentum with a well planned event
I’ve spent the last three years at Joseph-Beth Booksellers coveting “indie bookstore moments.” You know them — the first time a local Dungeons & Dragons group sets up shop, the first time a customer hugs you because they absolutely loved your last recommendation, the first time you get a handwritten thank you from a five-year-old. … Read more
