Along with the two products touted in its name, the Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, N.Y., sells art supplies and toys as well as coffee and food in its café. "Being diversified is key to cultivating different audiences for the store," said proprietor Kelley Drahushuk, who described sales as steady.
Located in a scenic area two hours north of New York City, Hudson is known for its plethora of antiques stores. "I'm sure they would feel a pinch way before I would because they sell high-end merchandise," Drahushuk said. "We carry a range of things. If you come in here, regardless of your financial situation, you can probably afford to buy something whether it's a coffee or a beer or a $75 book."
While Spotty Dog Books & Ale customers might not feel a need to curb their book buying, they do seem to have an eye on cost-saving measures in other areas. The store is located some 30 miles from the nearest large town or shopping mall, and rising gas prices appear to be leading consumers to make more purchases closer to home. "People are thinking twice about getting in their cars, and they're more willing to do things in town," Drahushuk said.
Environmentally-focused titles are among the store's top sellers, including Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time by David Johnston and Kim Master (New Society). "There are a lot of people remodeling houses, and I think they're looking to save on things like heating," Drahushuk said. Another book doing well is Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom & Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the Land--customers often buy multiple copies.
Drahushuk credits community involvement with helping the Spotty Dog Books & Ale stay in the black. In addition to hosting three in-store book clubs and offering the café as a gathering place for other area reading groups to meet, the store supplies titles for two community-sponsored book clubs. Upcoming events include Girls' Night Out the evening before Mother's Day, along with appearances by local scribe James Howard Kunstler, author of the novel World Made By Hand, and Michael Ballon, author of Castle Street Café Cookbook and a chef whose Berkshires restaurant focuses on fare made from locally grown produce.
For its young clientele, the store had craft time every Sunday in March for the second year in a row. And when the only toy store in town closed, Drahushuk stocked up on gift items like Melissa & Doug merchandise and arts and crafts kits for children. "We're constantly offering more to the public and trying new things," she said. "So far, knock on wood, we haven't had a slowdown."--Shannon McKenna Schmidt