Minnesota's Reading Frenzy Set to Open
For the past year Olson has been
selling online at readingfrenzymn.com
and at school book fairs, shows like the Zimmerman Business Expo and other
venues. Her efforts have built name recognition for the store and allowed her
to get to know the bookselling world. "I've been buying books for a year
and marketing for a year, which has been a great learning experience for
me," she said.
Olson's main motivation for setting up online and selling at book fairs and shows was to raise capital to open the bricks-and-mortar store. "I didn't have funding, and I needed to be creative. I was forced to think out of the box on how to get the storefront going," she said. One cost-cutting tactic was the purchase of $20,000 worth of bookshelves and fixtures from a closed Borders store for $3,000 via an online auction.
To further reduce opening costs, the store's inventory consists of half new and half used books. "We actually have three different types of books in the store," noted Olson. New books and gently used ones ("recycled readings") are shelved together, while tomes with slightly more wear are located at the back of the store in a section called "At the Cabin" and touted for vacation reading. "Here in Minnesota, we're cabin people," said Olson. "Everyone goes to a cabin for the summer." Some of the 5,000 used books were donated by family, friends and others who responded to Olson's requests on Facebook and Twitter. The rest came from a used bookstore in Kansas that was being relocated.
Last December, Olson introduced
herself at a Chamber of Commerce network meeting. After explaining that she was
looking to open a bookstore, she mentioned that her preferred locale would be
in a strip mall next door to Dunn Bros Coffee with a door adjoining the two
businesses. "Coffee and books, what's better than that?" she
reasoned. It turns out the proprietor of the Dunn Bros shop, who also owns the
building, was in attendance. "He came up to me and said, 'We can do
this,'" recalled Olson. "He really cut his price for us to be able to
get in there."
The interior of the nearly 1,600-sq.-ft. space, which was unfinished so that it could be built for the occupying business, has been transformed into a booklovers' haven with a reading nook and decorative touches like tables adorned with painted images of book spines. "We really want the store to be a hangout, which our community desperately needs," said Olson. Ready Frenzy is the only bookstore in Zimmerman, which is about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. And yes, there is a connecting door to the coffee shop.
Olson plans to run the store with the help of a part-time staffer. Along with her husband, Mike, who is the store's bookkeeper in addition to holding down a day job as an IT program manager, she attended a Paz & Associates bookseller training session. Olson has received advice and support from fellow workshop participants who have since opened stores, including Laura DeVault, co-owner of Over the Moon Bookshop and Artisan Gallery in Crozet, Va. (Shelf Awareness, June 22, 2010). For on-the-scenes instruction, Olson visited fellow Minnesota booksellers Laura Hansen of Bookin' It in Little Falls and Charlie Leonard of the Bookcase in Wayzata.
Reading Frenzy's whimsical logo--which features a drawing of a white dog and the tag line "sit, stay, read"--was inspired by an IndieBound poster. "His tail is wagging because he's excited about the books," said Olson, whose real-life canine companion is a basset hound, Smores.
The store's four-legged mascot, Frenzy, is the inspiration for the children's section--designated "Frenzy's Back Yard"--which is reached through an opening in a white picket fence. There is grass-green carpeting, a large water bowl adorned with Frenzy's name and a mural on two walls depicting the outdoors. Kids can read inside an oversized red dog house, or they can sit in one of several dog beds or white rocking chairs adorned with paw prints. Olson had a kid-oriented logo created with the words "Frenzy's Friendz" that appears on T-shirts and temporary tattoos.
IndieBound selections are featured near the store's entrance, along with a display of regional titles and books by local authors. Outdoor-themed tomes are prominently placed to appeal to the area's hunting and fishing enthusiasts as well as visitors to Zimmerman's 30,700-acre national wildlife refuge. Another highlight is the Pastor's Picks section. Olson has invited pastors to recommend up to five titles each. Anything is fair game, from religious books to fiction and weight loss titles.
Many of the store's sideline items are produced by Midwestern vendors, among them Amish butters and jams, T-shirts with fishing and hunting motifs created by a graphic artist and confections made by Arndt's Fudgery. Olson plans to showcase works by local artists and invite folk musicians to play on weekends.
Reading Frenzy is taking part in the county's "Krazy Days" festivities on September 18 and 19. Later in the month, animal rescuer Linzi Glass is scheduled to appear via Skype to discuss her middle grade fiction book Finding Danny. The event is partly a fundraiser for Ruff Start Rescue, an animal shelter located near Zimmerman. Reading Frenzy's grand opening celebration will take place October 16. Said Olson, "It's fun to see the dream you envision come true."--Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Reading Frenzy BookShop is located at 12530 Fremont Ave., Suite 200, Zimmerman, Minn. 55398; 763-389-0667.
