The Toadstool Bookshops in New Hampshire have "weathered all kinds of competition," but "remained successful by staying true to its roots as a welcoming spot to browse the shelves," the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript reported. A small business that was launched more than four decades ago by owner Willard Williams and several family members "has grown into a regional presence with busy locations in Peterborough, Milford and Keene, boosted by a loyal customer base."
Williams said the rise of online competition "places challenges on retailers, because in past years, income hasn't grown much, but all your other costs go up. So you have to be more efficient in what you do to make a profit.... I'm trying to ensure a great experience. I want this to be a place people enjoy coming to. In general, bookstores across the country are trying to engage in a conversation about the experience of being in the store. In a quick walk-through, hundreds of titles can catch your eye that you didn't know existed, and wouldn't have known to search for on the Internet."
He added that even though Toadstool has evolved over the years "to accommodate the changing times," the business model has stayed essentially the same: "The great thing about the book business is that there's always new titles on the table, so it's never stagnant in here. The way we do business doesn't really have to change. We're still all about books."
