"I've given many gifts to my wife of 23 years: diamonds, gold, silver, but none was as big a hit as Just the Right Book!," said a satisfied customer who used the personalized gift book service started several years ago by R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn.
Just the Right Book! titles are selected by R.J. Julia booksellers specifically for the recipient. For the year-long version, customers can choose to have a book delivered quarterly, bimonthly or monthly. Kids' libraries for girls, boys and babies offer five to 18 books packaged in a decorative storage box.
Earlier this year, R.J. Julia owner Roxanne Coady saw that there might be greater potential for Just the Right Book! "We've gotten good feedback, great testimonials, and so we decided to launch it in a more robust way," said Coady. "We had two choices: we could have waited until next year and really gotten everything ironed out in the most perfect way, or we could get out there and test what works and what doesn't work and then ramp it up through 2010. We decided to do the latter." A dedicated website went live in early November, and holiday marketing initiatives include a radio campaign and a 50,000-brochure mailing.
At JustTheRightBook.com, gift givers answer questions about recipients and select the number of books they'd like to purchase and how often they'll be delivered. Recipients, in turn, are invited to update their preferences and request specific titles. In addition, corporate clients can create an address book that is stored on the site for use in sending gifts. The website has streamlined and automated the process, but the personal touch is critical to the program's success. Once someone has signed up, an R.J. Julia bookseller is assigned to that customer and selects books based on their recipients' literary tastes.
One of the most popular Just the Right Book! offerings is the medium-sized Baby Library ($149): seven to nine books and a pair of bookends are arranged in a storage box. (Both the bookends and the box, which feature a monkey's smiling face, are custom-made for Just the Right Book!) Another top choice is the six-month series for adults and children. The main givers are grandparents to grandchildren; aunts and uncles to nieces and nephews; husband to wife and vice versa; and children to recently retired parents.
R.J. Julia Booksellers is also in the spotlight as part of the retailer's overall holiday sales strategy. For the first time in its nearly two-decade history (the store celebrates its 20th anniversary in April), the seasonal catalogue has a different spin. Rather than showcasing the top books of 2009, it features commentary by each staffer--their holiday picks and who they'll be giving them to, their favorite book ever, their dream and a revealing personal fact. "Every time we wait on a customer we have to think about how we're adding value," Coady said. "The biggest way we add value is the quality of our booksellers, and that's what we're celebrating."
General manager Kathryn Fabiani, for example, is giving the "amazing and gorgeous animal photography book" A Shadow Falls by Nick Brandt to her stepdaughters. The event host's nephew will be getting Dave Morine's Two Coots in a Canoe, "a great story of friendship, and how two old college friends 'mooch' their way down 400 miles of the Connecticut River." The revamped catalogue "is different than anything we've ever done," said Coady. "If you look around the landscape this year, I think you'll see a lot of independent booksellers trying new things."--Shannon McKenna Schmidt
