So far the title of the season at the Bookworm of Edwards in Edwards,
Colo.--a 750-sq.-ft. store near the Vail and Beaver Creek ski
resorts--is The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class
by David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim. The book consists of 365 daily
doses of wisdom drawn from seven fields of knowledge: history,
literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts
and music.
"It's a wonderful gift book for people of all ages, anywhere from 15 to
95," said Nicole Magistro, who owns the Bookworm with Neda Jansen.
"It's perfect for those people for whom you just don't know what to get."
Magistro is handselling the title, and customers often purchase
multiple copies. "Yesterday I sold 10 copies to two people," said
Magistro, who is hoping she can keep the Rodale book in stock through
the holiday season. (The title is on back order with a third printing
apparently scheduled.)
"For us the hand sell is the most important thing, and I think that's why The Intellectual Devotional is doing so well," said Magistro.
Some customers, of course, come in looking for big books like "the new
Patterson," and she anticipates some sales from books like For One More
Day by Mitch Albom and French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets,
Recipes and Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano, but generally national
bestsellers "don't sell that much for us. People can get those
everywhere." The store's customers tend to "want something different,
and we feel really comfortable with that."
Children's book sales "are enormous for us at Christmas," Magistro
said. Robert Sabuda's pop-up books are perennial favorites, and this
season Magistro cited the author's recently published The 12 Days of
Christmas Anniversary Edition: A Pop-up Celebration as a likely
customer favorite. Boxed sets of classics by Dr. Seuss and Little House
on the Prairie books are also popular choices. "The Night Before
Christmas is usually the top-selling Christmas book," Magistro said,
surpassing even The Polar Express and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Along with traditional sidelines such as bookmarks, journals, calendars
and children's puzzles and games, the store sells Veritas Chocolatier's confections, made with all-natural
ingredients and on prominent display. The store began selling the chocolates over the summer and has
since tripled stock.
An emphasis on target marketing has proven to be a boon for business.
Earlier this year, customers who had not shopped at the store for six
months received a handwritten note. And in an effort to increase
business-to-business orders, 500 cards were sent to local businesses in
October to encourage bulk ordering for seasonal client and employee
gifts. "Vail is very fortunate in that we have a strong independent
business community," said Magistro. "We try to support one another."
The direct marketing effort has resulted in "a good increase,
especially for our pre-holiday sales," Magistro said. The campaign also
included schools, and "a lot of teachers have increased their orders
with us," she added. Bulk b-to-b orders included a Christmas CD by a
local musician and The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty by Kenneth G.
Libbrecht.
On December 9, the store is hosting an author signing with the
Snowboard Outreach Society. The event will take place at a restaurant
in Beaver Creek and feature Danny Martin, the author of No-Fall
Snowboarding, and Jim Smith, the author of Art of Snowboarding. "It's
the first on-mountain event we've done," Magistro said, and it's a way
to bring the store to the attention of potential holiday
shoppers--visitors who might not necessarily be planning to venture
beyond the confines of the resort.
The Bookworm receives "a decent amount of tourist traffic," noted
Magistro, but the store's clientele is primarily year-round residents
and second-home owners who spend three or more months a year in the
area. "We have a very consistent group of readers," said Magistro. Many
of these readers have been avidly awaiting the release of Philippa
Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance (on sale today), which Magistro
expects to sell not only through the holiday season but well into the
New Year.
Historical fiction is one of the store's strongest categories, and
Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl is the bestselling title in the
Bookworm's history. Gregory has visited the store twice in recent years
and has garnered such a following that she's the store's top selling
author. "She beats out everyone," said Magistro, "even J.K.
Rowling."--Shannon McKenna
