"Baby boomers, more than any other demographic group, will shape the future of the marketplace. They are in control and will remain so for decades to come. For boomers, getting older does not mean resigning oneself to a deceleration into death. They will continue to be actively involved in their lifestyles, spending lots of money and searching for more new things to try. . . . Boomers will age, but they won't grow old."--Generation Ageless: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Live Today . . . And They're Just Getting Started by J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman.
Last week, I offered a conversation starter. The responses were thoughtful and intriguing.
Chris Curry of A Novel Experience bookstore, Zebulon, Ga., is a boomer who notes that "although most of my contemporaries have embraced the Internet and most electronic gadgets for work and play, I think they are still inclined to prefer face-to-face socializing and 'community.' It seems that the Internet connection is handy for many of us who will probably continue working hard, changing careers and embarking on new ventures throughout our life spans, but when we encounter the concrete realities of aging, cyberspace just doesn't cut it. It's the human, real-time friend who can bring over chicken soup.
"So, I think bookstores with an authentic customer-service philosophy will continue to serve as one of the 'third places' of the community. They will be valued as such by boomers who need that irreplaceable human contact. Community-seeking will get the boomers into the town square and into the bookstore--then it's our job to sell them a book!"
A child of the boomer generation and a bookseller for 11 years, Missie Olm of the Reader's Loft, Green Bay, Wis., which has a client base "predominantly" of boomers, observed that "while boomers are reading [nonfiction] for pleasure, they are reading around the subject areas that specifically interest them. What I've found to work best in selling books to this generation is to listen. They care about their subject area and are often more informed on it than I may ever be. Ask questions.
"Fiction-reading boomers are a different and more varied group. I'm not sure it's possible to pigeonhole their reading tastes/buying habits on that side, other than to say that they generally have a very clear sense of what they like and don't like in a book. This actually makes the job easier, once you have--yes, again--listened."
David Henkes of University Book Store, Bellevue, Wash., believes that "boomers will continue to buy books from bricks-and-mortar stores because they have a strong sense of independent business patronage. Realizing that deals are to be had online, boomers will continue to embrace the nostalgia, the social connection, of leaving the home and going to the local bookstore."
Another University Bookstore bookseller, Kiki Hood, added that "boomers seem to understand the art of the browse. They come into our store not necessarily looking for anything in particular, but merely to see what's here. I think they also engage more senses, smelling the subtle odor of ink, feeling the heft and the texture of the page, overhearing conversations. I think they will continue to come in to the actual store because they can speak to booksellers (and sometimes other customers) who might send them in a new direction."
As a BB selling to other BBs, Karen Frank of the Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vt., has noticed "a marked tendency to appreciate both things and ideas that buck the trends (the '60s, anyone?). We are still rebels and seekers, though more open to the freedom new technology brings. Searching for meaning is still an issue. Individuality, tempered with social conscience, will continue to influence older readers to cherish and support any oasis of art and fine craftsmanship, whether physical or intellectual.
"I find the older customers much more willing to try a debut author and passionate about helping to educate the younger generation in the precious legacy of literature and art. I believe independent bookshops, music shops and art galleries should not surrender to the digital age, but work to reinvent and enhance the experience by using the amazing tools being invented daily in addition to the time honored conversations, beautiful objects and atmosphere that are so important for a full life . . . no matter what the age."
Keep talking to me. Inquiring boomers want to know.--Robert Gray (column archives available at Fresh Eyes Now)