When customers are looking to buy physical books, their experience in a brick-and-mortar bookstore can go way beyond click-and-buy.  

Let's push the envelope a little further to accentuate our competitive advantages - focusing on what customers need and want with the valuable 'high touch' aspect of our business.

The desire for lifelong learning.

Readers want to expand their world. They want to keep learning and growing. Fulfilling this need with more learning opportunities in the bookstore is a natural extension of selling books.  

While many customers may not go to the trouble of enrolling in an extension course at the community college, they might sign up for a 4 session series taught by a retired English professor in the comfort of your store ... and pay a fee to attend.  

What do people want to learn about in your area? From home arts to literature, healthy living to parenting, chances are you have a host of local experts that you can engage to develop - and deliver - programs.    

The need for connection.

Just look at how many people have busy lives, but still find time for their book group! Maybe it's time to re-invent the Socrates cafe. What are the topics your customers want to discuss?   

Local experts can present a topic, select a book for participants to read, and facilitate group conversation. From local and national politics, war and national security, history and current events to travel, faith, and creativity, you can be the venue where people have meaningful conversations. Extend the popular book group concept. 

The need for meaningful activities for children.

As long as parents are busy, they'll appreciate the meaningful programs you coordinate that will engage children, help them learn to love to read, and use their imaginations.  

Partnering with teachers, an artist association, music school, community theatre group, storytellers and local entertainers can make it easier to host and implement programs.       

It takes a community to create a community bookstore. Engage local experts (who will invite people they know) to offer opportunities to connect, exchange, and learn. Instead of events, think 'programs' or 'classes' ... all have value and are worthy of a class fee.     

sell the experience.

watching price points & buying behavior
is the art of retailing (and for the customer,
the fun of shopping).

The local artist who created the new logo for Rona Brinlee, owner of The Bookmark in Neptune Beach, FL, also created this beautiful ocean scene on canvas. The painting is behind the cash wrap, offering customers a pleasant visual, as well as reinforcing the store's identity. 

Leslie Hakala, owner of Best of Times Bookstore in Red Wing, MN, asked a local artist to paint nature scenes in small spaces in several areas in the store. This one is in a visible corner space just beside the public rest room.  

celebrate everything local. 

When you think of just this market niche, there are plenty of people who receive gifts when a new baby arrives: parents, siblings, grandparents and of course, the new baby! Think of all those opportunities to make a sale. 

Be the go-to place for baby gifts ... don't forget toys, cards, invitations, and party favors to make it easy for your customers to know what to buy. Profit gaps are filled with a series of small, easy strategies of identifying and meeting customer needs.   

seize the opportunity.