For Boulder Bookstore in Boulder, Colo., "the season has been strong for us," reported buyer and general manager Arsen Kashkashian. The store is running ahead of last year, with some of that likely attributable to a Dog Man event held with Dav Pilkey on December 2.
Kashkashian said The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is "definitely the big novel of the season," with Stephen Graham Jones's The Buffalo Hunter Hunter also doing well. On the nonfiction side, things are a bit more mixed, with 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation by Andrew Ross Sorkin, The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon, and Patti Smith's memoir, Bread of Angels, proving popular.
In children's, highlights include Dav Pilkey's Dog Man: Big Jim Believes and the graphic novel Wings of Fire: Darkstalker by Tui Sutherland. Kashkashian added that a Boulder-themed Monopoly game, which came out in September and features the bookstore on one of the spaces, has been a hit.
Asked about supply-chain issues, Kashkashian said it seems that many publishers are "having some issues getting books out of their warehouses in a timely manner." For sidelines, international orders are being delayed, possibly in Customs, which is leading to "unpredictable shipping times and sometimes an additional tariff charge."
Kashkashian noted that the store launched the Boulder Bookstore Literacy Foundation in September, which aims to provide books to local schoolchildren and recently had a successful book drive for Nederland Middle-Senior High School. The store is also working on a reading retreat in partnership with the Colorado Chautauqua that will take place in late February. The two initiatives have helped make it "an extremely busy season for us," he said.
On the subject of price increases, Kashkashian said it doesn't seem to matter much at this point, and customers simply "want to celebrate Christmas."
In Farmington, Maine, Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers has seen strong sales so far this holiday season, with owner Kenny Brechner reporting that the store is "up a little," though "prices are a little bit higher."
The season's biggest sellers have come from the store's Holiday 20 table. Apart from those titles, Brechner pointed to The Correspondent, Winter Stories by Ingvild H. Rishøi, and the board book Knight Owl's Little Christmas by Christopher Denise as standouts. He added that Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree has sold much better than he expected.
Brechner said he's also encountered supply-chain issues, with one example being the "very popular" sideline Audiopets--aside from one item, the entire line was out of stock. For books, Brechner continued, "all my suppliers are crawling." Nobody is providing accurate information, and "the ability to order anything in time for Christmas after the 12th is a dimming prospect."
While customers seem more prone to discuss economic concerns, and have noted increased costs, they are also "expressing appreciation of having a warm, well-curated, local, physical, community-minded space" in which to purchase their gifts, Brechner said. "And I think importantly, there is a markedly increased desire and appreciation for human interaction. Handselling has taken on a deeper purpose this year."
Stephen Sparks, co-owner of Point Reyes Books in Point Reyes Station, Calif., said the store's November sales were "up 14% over last year," with December sales currently on pace with 2024. Sparks noted that typically, "things are relatively quiet" in December until the week of Christmas, when the store becomes extremely busy.
Asked about big sellers, Sparks said prize-winners and a few strong local books--including The Extremities!, the debut novel from store manager Samantha Kimmey--have "leaped to the top of our bestsellers." Otherwise, "there's been quite a bit of parity" among fall releases, with event books like The Water Remembers by Amy Bowers Cordalis and the new translation of Rumi's Water by Haleh Liza Gafori standing out.
Supply-chain issues have become a problem, with Sparks reporting that "shipments have gotten very sporadic and split." He mentioned significant issues with two of the largest suppliers, and said there were "orders placed the week of Thanksgiving that are still outstanding."
In general, Sparks said, the store has had an "incredible year," with sales up nearly 18%. The store's transaction counts are up for the year, "which typically means we have more people visiting the National Seashore," and he considered the possibility it might be similar to what the store experienced in 2021.
As more people were getting vaccinated, Sparks recalled, they were making more day and weekend trips to Point Reyes. Perhaps this year, amid rising prices and broader economic concerns, people are visiting the National Seashore in lieu of taking more expensive trips elsewhere. --Alex Mutter
If you are interested in having your store appear in a future Holiday Hum article, please e-mail alex@shelf-awareness.com.