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Four booksellers at Children's Institute 7 last week in Pittsburgh, Pa., discussed how bookstores can save money and help their bottom lines through a variety of small steps. On the panel were Suzanna Hermans, co-owner of Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck and Millerton, N.Y.; Katie Orphan, manager of The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles, Calif.; and Ariana Paliobagis, owner of Country Bookshelf in Bozeman, Mont. Adlai Yeomans, co-owner of Pittsburgh's White Whale Bookstore, moderated the discussion.
Cutting Down Store Spending
Hermans recommended that booksellers audit their phone and Internet bill at least every five years, saying that while the process is a "pain in the neck" it can be very helpful. She also suggested doing the same with POS bills, noting that she realized at one point that Wordstock was charging her hardware fees for equipment that was no longer even in her store. Paliobagis reminded booksellers that many things can be negotiated, but you "never know until you ask," and said always to watch out for things like shipping, noting that sometimes an item that is more expensive per unit can actually be a better deal than a less expensive item if the supplier offers incentives like free shipping. Orphan, meanwhile, said the Last Bookstore assessed its frequently used items and saved money by switching the bags the store offers.
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| Left to right: Adlai Yeomans, Suzanna Hermans, Katie Orphan and Ariana Paliobagis | |
Sidelines
Orphan explained that journals are the Last Bookstore's single biggest sidelines category and said remainder companies are a great resource for those items. Hermans said booksellers should check ABACUS to see if there's room to increase the prices of their non-book items, and Paliobagis stressed again that there is usually room for negotiation. She suggested, too, that booksellers ask for samples.
Used & Remaindered
Orphan noted that with used books, there is a higher profit percentage but a lower gross sale, and said that with used children's books in particular, the Last Bookstore has had success with early reader, middle grade and YA titles. But with board books, picture books or anything that "children might chew on," the Last Bookstore has not seen much success. Paliobagis said that while she doesn't sell used she does sell a lot of remainders, noting that you can often find remainders that are in perfect condition--in particular, she's used high-quality remainders to fill out her store's art section.
Saving Time
Hermans said that while she was unable to attend this year's Winter Institute, she did take advantage of the taped education sessions and advised any bookseller who cannot travel to such events to do the same. On the subject of the ABA's educational resources, Paliobagis pointed out that booksellers can find plenty of information on BookWeb about things like creating new policies or forms that would otherwise be tedious and time consuming. She suggested also making frequent use of the bookseller "hive mind," and Hermans added that she recently had to rewrite her store's job application, which had been the same for some 30 years. Essentially, she continued, she "cribbed it" from other bookstores' job applications.
Advertising
Orphan suggested forming relationships with local tourism boards and neighborhood associations, and Paliobagus said the more you make yourself available to local media the more they come to you. Yeomans added that regardless of where a store is located, "these things exist in various sizes," and booksellers should reach out to whatever is around them. The panelists also advised collaborating with other organizations and local businesses to extend the reach of advertising. Discussing social media marketing, Orphan said the Last Bookstore consistently sees the most engagement with Instagram posts and will sometimes pay to boost Facebook posts about events that don't seem to be generating a response. She said: "Sometimes it pays."
Publisher "Tricks"
The panelists discussed a variety of ways to order more efficiently, such as creating book fair accounts and business-to-business accounts and making use of publisher promotions such as book-ticket bundles for ticketed author events. They noted that not all publishers offer these programs or promotions, and booksellers should always make sure they understand all of the different terms and conditions. Orphan and Yeomans also suggested it might be worth asking for call tags for larger events or when publishers are pushing a heavy buy-in, but warned that if you ask your rep for call tags every time, you'll quickly "use up that good will."
Worth the Price
When asked about what things were worth spending a little extra on, Paliobagis said that her price gun, which cost her about $50, has saved a huge amount of time and energy when pricing sidelines and non-book items. She also mentioned her laminator, which is useful for making seasonal signs--she can print "nice, full-color" copies once, laminate them and use them year after year. Orphan, meanwhile, mentioned her shrink-wrap machine. She said she had to "campaign hard" with her store owners to get it and convinced them by saving up "several boxes" worth of books and box sets that she would have had to return if she couldn't rewrap them. Yeomans added that little perks and treats for staff can go a long way, particularly the occasional pizza. --Alex Mutter