After lengthy consultation with my key advisers, I've decided to assume personal responsibility for the day after Thanksgiving by rechristening it Gray Friday. I believe this will more accurately reflect the uncertainty of the upcoming retail holiday season.
In the spirit of a year as unhinged as this one has become, I wondered what we're expecting--and how we've prepared--for Gray Friday. So I asked around.
"I think our sales will hold up pretty well," says Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books, Miami, Fla. "We usually have reduced expectations as we're primarily in non-mall locations. Over Black Friday, most folks hit the malls first for bargains and then head over to us. We're hoping to get that first wave this year, though, because we're going to promote the notion of books as a 'value' gift. Not necessarily value = price, though. So, the notion of IndieBound and how we can get the message of our independence across will also be important; we want our customers to know that when they support us, they also support their community."
Watermark Books, Wichita, Kan., is featuring "a black coupon good for Black Friday that went out with last week's e-letter," notes Sarah Bagby. "Our customers love coupons and they were successful last year. Our expectations are not widely varied from previous years. During the latter two weeks of October and all through November, three of us have gone out on the circuit, speaking to book clubs, philanthropic groups and auxiliary groups. We asked attendees how they felt about giving books as presents and whether they will give the same amount as in previous years. The answers were overwhelmingly positive. Customers seemed adamant about giving books to facilitate an authentic experience, rather than more stuff or gadgets."
Village Books, Bellingham, Wash., also sent a coupon to its e-mail list, seeking to draw customers in on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Owner Chuck Robinson hopes "that the exposure will help on Black Friday, even though the coupon won't be valid then. Our historic district always has a two-day gallery walk on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year the entire area has ramped it up with a carriage-arrival of a Victorian Santa, performers throughout the district and other activities."
November sales have been good thus far at Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Iowa. Alice Meyer is "optimistic about sales next Friday. We don't have anything special planned. I guess I made the decision when I opened that I can't compete with donuts at midnight and $20 DVRs. Not to say that we're not nervous about the economy and the shopping season, and I am monitoring everything very closely. We love IndieBound, and I think our customers are more aware than ever of the impact of buying locally."
According to Joe Foster of Maria's Bookshop, Durango, Colo., "Historically, Black Friday has been a pretty busy day for us, but not outrageously so. I'm honestly predicting a really solid holiday, despite the shrieking Nostradomi in the news. As for any new strategies, I've been a bit more judicious with inventory and, much to the chagrin of our suppliers I think, we got ridiculously aggressive with returns last month. We support and exploit the MPIBA Winter Catalogue very heavily, doing newspaper inserts the Sunday before Thanksgiving and we historically see a huge response from that."
Russ Marshalek of Wordsmiths Books, Decatur, Ga., says his expectations are "tempered and minimal at best. The economy's been a friend to no one, and, honestly, bookstores/book sales aren't something usually impacted, in my frame of reference, by Black Friday." Wordsmiths will be "focusing on gift titles rather than the 'big' books. Also, despite the economic downturn we're carrying on with our event-focused in-store promotions to continue to encourage people to come into the store."
Expecting "a quiet Friday," Lauretta Nagel of Constellation Books, Reisterstown, Md., has an alternative plan to enhance sales: "My retail neighbors and I are banding together to hold a November Market Days Open House up and down Main Street, in the hopes that we will attract people who might otherwise shop the mall."
Linda Ramsdell of the Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, Vt., says, "Black Friday is traditionally not a big sales day for us, so we're expecting 'the usual.' We haven't done anything different for a Black Friday promotion, as we are putting the focus on our 20th anniversary sale on December 6. We will send out a newsletter before Thanksgiving, reminding people how important it is, now more than ever, to spend money locally."
At Red Fox Books, Glens Falls, N.Y., owner Susan Fox says, "We're just not sure what to expect this year. We have been rather busy these past couple of weekends, so we hope that bodes well for the rest of the season. We haven't found Black Friday to be especially big for us in the past two years. We're not doing anything special for it, largely because the following weekend is a town-wide event and we try to save our energies for that."
Kelly Justice of Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Va., sees "an overall holiday season that is slightly down, but not as bad as the grim forecasts. I have noticed an increased awareness on the part of our customers about where they spend money and what the long-term value of that investment will be. While price-conscious, I'm hearing more parents explain to their children why they are here rather than the mall, because we are connected to their community.
"Also, we are reaching out to our fellow local businesses with a special discount campaign for people in our neighborhood who are in the service industry. Service industry people are their own huge network, particularly those in restaurant and retail and they support their own. By reaching out to them by both providing incentives for them to shop with us and by patronizing their businesses, I hope to create positive word of mouth that they will then share with those they serve."
Valerie Koehler of Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex., says, "We tend to do steady, brisk business on the two days following Thanksgiving. We get a fair number of families coming in bringing extended family from out of town. Many of our customers like to show off to their family where their gifts come from. So we don't plan any big sales or other pushes. Our December is jammed with activity--onsite and off."
And, in a thankful mood, Roger Doeren of Rainy Day Books, Fairway, Kan., notes that for his bookshop, "the day after Thanksgiving is a day to meet and greet our customers with a positive, helpful and thankful attitude and make that day, just like any other day, into whatever it will be; turning 'Read' into 'Black.' The big picture is read in 365 days rather then the minutiae of one day."
As for me, I'll be on the sales floor for my 17th straight Black--now Gray--Friday. I'll tell how that went next week, and I invite you to send me your reactions and even photos, too.--Robert Gray (column archives available at Fresh Eyes Now)