Take a deep breath, folks.
In Monday's column, we heard from booksellers regarding their Black Friday game plans, but for some bookstores BF is simply a prelude to the busy holiday sales season rather than a retail lightning strike.
"Honestly, Black Friday in Hardwick does not usually include frenzy--a lot of people go out of town to shop," says Linda Ramsdell of Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, Vt.. She opted for a preemptive strategy to "create frenzy" by offering a Sirius Reader sale and party on America Unchained Day last weekend. "So, in a way, that is a tip--if Black Friday is not a big shopping day in a small town, create other opportunities for big sales."
Valerie Kohler of Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex., plans to "take off Thanksgiving weekend and go to the beach with my extended family. Throughout the year, I am very liberal with staff vacations (they all work part time). In return, several key staff members keep the shop open for me. It's not a particularly big weekend for us as we are in a strip center and our core customers are weekday shoppers."
Blue Willow is, however, "in full holiday mode now that the temperature has dropped below 80--free coffee and cider; homemade cookies from the cookbooks we want to sell; free gift wrap, which means keep the wrap counter clean and remember that we are all in this together."
Having Fridays off greatly helps Linda Bond deal with the BF issue at Auntie's Bookstore, Spokane, Wash., but she does offer a few survival tips for her colleagues: "Remember who and where you are (it helps to stay focused); remember why you are working at a bookstore; remember these people are your friends--they are working to keep you in business and bringing you money to back up their promises; they, too, are frustrated, pressed for time and a tad bit out of sorts--take a deep breath and let it pass over you! And remember, above all, THIS TOO SHALL PASS!"
Perhaps the most important survival skill is to remember the ideal spirit of this particular holiday.
"I told our staff the other day that I am very thankful to be in the book business during the holiday season," notes Vivien Jennings of Rainy Day Books, Fairway, Kan. "For us, it is not the make-it or break-it for our financial year. It is just a wonderful opportunity to get more people of all ages excited about reading and books by matching their interests with selections from the amazing array of books that are available. We are so lucky to be able to believe in what we sell. Books can make you laugh, keep you on the edge of your chair in suspense, take you back in history, help you be healthier, and encourage you to live a better life in a better world. Best of all, they are always the right color and size, won't wilt, are non-fattening, lead-free, and are recyclable. What more can we ask?"
Her husband, Roger Doeren, offers a Thanksgiving weekend checklist that will resonate for many of us:
- We give thanks for our loyal customers.
- We familiarize ourselves with our inventory selection; on our sales floor, in our back room, and in our warehouses.
- We remain calm, capable, competent, and confident about our knowledgeable service and selection.
- We welcome our new and loyal customers with the same genuine friendly greeting and smile and look them straight in the eyes when we offer to assist them in their shopping experience.
- We match our customers' interests with the best choices of reading and listening material and sidelines.
- We offer complimentary high quality gift wrapping service while they shop with us or with our neighbor merchants.
- We encourage our customers to "Shop Local and Buy Local." In the present and future it is best for them and their community.
- We thank our customers as they leave with their packages.
- We restock and re-straighten our sales floor.
- We breathe deeply and welcome the next customers and repeat the same steps as often as possible.
Happy Thanksgiving. Have a sane and profitable Black Friday. Let me know how it all turns out.--Robert Gray (column archives available at Fresh Eyes Now)