Sales on Thanksgiving weekend at the Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, Vt.,
were "fabulous," co-owner Penny McConnel told Shelf Awareness. "We were
up over last year."
Among the reasons: the store's first newsletter with holiday recommendations; the NEBA holiday catalogue; and the store's book angels program, which many customers ask about as early as the beginning of November.
For the book angels program, Norwich Bookstore coordinates with several local agencies that describe the children who need books in very general ways, for example, "three-year-old girl" or "one-year-old boy." Customers then donate either money or particular books for the children. After a certain amount of contributions, the store adds its own donations. The wreath on which customers hang cards went up Friday. "It's a great way for people to feel that they're helping out others," McConnel said.
The newsletter, which highlighted nearly 50 books, went to more than 400 customers; copies were also distributed in the store. "People have been bringing them in all marked up," McConnel said happily. The NEBA holiday catalogue, which was sent out in a local newspaper, also helped.
Besides the Internet, the store has competition across the Connecticut River in New Hampshire, which has no sales tax. A Borders opened there four years ago. "We freaked but survived," McConnel said. Then last year, the new owners of the Dartmouth Bookstore in Hanover, N.H., leased it to Barnes & Noble. "We freaked again," McConnel said. But customers remained loyal. "Every Saturday morning, everyone is buying birthday presents for parties that day," she said. "And a lot of customers come in with printed out lists from Amazon. They say, 'We did your work for you.' "
Customers are "definitely doing Christmas shopping," she continued. Already coffee table books are selling, which is unusual in November, and customers seem in a good mood.
Among bestsellers at the moment are Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, On Beauty by Zadie Smith, Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi, Brave Charlotte by Anu Stohner and The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza.
McConnel is handselling a pair of titles that are loosely related by subject and style: The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr and The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. Both, she said, are nonfiction titles written like fiction and set in Italy in the recent past. "I like to put them into the same hands," she said.
Local interest titles include a new cookbook, Cook What You Love: Simple, Flavorful Recipes to Make Again and Again by Bob and Melinda Blanchard, authors who moved from Norwich to Anguilla and opened a restaurant. "They've been very big, and their cookbooks are good, too," McConnel commented.
In addition, Mary Azarian, the illustrator of Here Comes Darrell by Leda Schubert, lives in Vermont and will be doing a signing at the store in the middle of December.
The many Beatles books are not doing as well as McConnel believed they would. "There are so many, which is not a good thing," she commented. Still, she has hope that they may be just the thing for gift giving near the end of the long and winding road leading to Christmas Day.
Among the reasons: the store's first newsletter with holiday recommendations; the NEBA holiday catalogue; and the store's book angels program, which many customers ask about as early as the beginning of November.
For the book angels program, Norwich Bookstore coordinates with several local agencies that describe the children who need books in very general ways, for example, "three-year-old girl" or "one-year-old boy." Customers then donate either money or particular books for the children. After a certain amount of contributions, the store adds its own donations. The wreath on which customers hang cards went up Friday. "It's a great way for people to feel that they're helping out others," McConnel said.
The newsletter, which highlighted nearly 50 books, went to more than 400 customers; copies were also distributed in the store. "People have been bringing them in all marked up," McConnel said happily. The NEBA holiday catalogue, which was sent out in a local newspaper, also helped.
Besides the Internet, the store has competition across the Connecticut River in New Hampshire, which has no sales tax. A Borders opened there four years ago. "We freaked but survived," McConnel said. Then last year, the new owners of the Dartmouth Bookstore in Hanover, N.H., leased it to Barnes & Noble. "We freaked again," McConnel said. But customers remained loyal. "Every Saturday morning, everyone is buying birthday presents for parties that day," she said. "And a lot of customers come in with printed out lists from Amazon. They say, 'We did your work for you.' "
Customers are "definitely doing Christmas shopping," she continued. Already coffee table books are selling, which is unusual in November, and customers seem in a good mood.
Among bestsellers at the moment are Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, On Beauty by Zadie Smith, Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi, Brave Charlotte by Anu Stohner and The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza.
McConnel is handselling a pair of titles that are loosely related by subject and style: The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr and The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. Both, she said, are nonfiction titles written like fiction and set in Italy in the recent past. "I like to put them into the same hands," she said.
Local interest titles include a new cookbook, Cook What You Love: Simple, Flavorful Recipes to Make Again and Again by Bob and Melinda Blanchard, authors who moved from Norwich to Anguilla and opened a restaurant. "They've been very big, and their cookbooks are good, too," McConnel commented.
In addition, Mary Azarian, the illustrator of Here Comes Darrell by Leda Schubert, lives in Vermont and will be doing a signing at the store in the middle of December.
The many Beatles books are not doing as well as McConnel believed they would. "There are so many, which is not a good thing," she commented. Still, she has hope that they may be just the thing for gift giving near the end of the long and winding road leading to Christmas Day.