At Books & Company in Oconomowoc, Wisc., "customers seem really upbeat," said co-owner Lisa Baudoin. "They've been going out of their way to tell us we're doing a good job and that they're glad we're here." The store is located about 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, which was home to Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops until the retailer shut down in early 2009 after more than 80 years in business. "There was a lot of coverage about it," Baudoin said. "When Schwartz closed, I think people really began to understand what it means to have something and then to not have it. And that if you want to have it, you've got to support it."
Books & Company is giving shoppers plenty of reasons to come into the store--offering discounts, staging events and undertaking new initiatives--and sales are up over last year. A three-day open house following Thanksgiving included a 15% off sale, while a "Winter Treat" coupon rewards big buyers. Those who spend a minimum of $50 between December 1 and 15 will receive 15% off purchases in January; $100 or more earns the discount plus IndieBound's Eat. Sleep. Read Calendar or the Book Lover's Page-A-Day Calendar.
In November, an elementary school held a music and choir recital at Books & Company. Students signed up to perform in various time slots, and friends and family turned out to see them. "Our sales were great that night," noted Baudoin. The kids will be invited back next year, as will other area schools.
This year, for the first time, Books & Company used the Midwest Booksellers Association holiday catalogue as a school fund-raiser. A couple of thousand catalogues, along with a special coupon, were distributed to parents. The coupon could be used toward the purchase of titles in the catalogue, with Books & Company donating a portion of those sales (10% in cash or 15% in credit) to the school.
Another first-time endeavor: the inside front cover of the MBA catalogues was imprinted with six titles designated Books & Company's Timeless Classics for Gift Giving: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Time and Again by Jack Finney, In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming and the children's books Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen and To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda. The promotion "has made an impact," said Baudoin, who worked with staffers to come up with the list.
Another backlist hand-sell at Books & Company is So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell. Buzz for the novel began after David Wroblewski mentioned it during an appearance at the store in October. It has become an employee favorite and one the staff is avidly recommending it to customers--both on its own and for people purchasing Wroblewski's The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
An author event with Kate Jacobs in early November led to one of Books & Company's charitable initiatives: collecting hand-knit caps to donate to a food pantry and a clinic. During her tour, Jacobs partnered with Lands' End and the organization Warming Families to rally crafters across the country to make hats and distribute them in local communities. Books & Company promoted the hat drive along with Jacobs's signing for her latest novel, Knit the Season, and plans to keep it going until the end of the month.
Another way the store is giving back is by carrying "swittens"--mittens made from wool sweaters by members of the Oconomowoc chapter of the Friendship Bridge, which offers small business loans to women in Guatemala. "The swittens sell like crazy," said Baudoin, "and all the money goes directly to the Friendship Bridge." Another popular sideline is Magnet House "interchangeable" jewelry made by Minnesota artist Marianne Richmond. Each pendant necklace comes with a trio of decorative magnets that can be swapped out for different looks.
A display garnering attention at Books & Company is a wallet-friendly selection of "under $20" items, such as Under the Covers and Between the Sheets: Facts and Trivia about the World's Greatest Books by C. Alan Joyce and Sarah Janssen and the recipe collection Hot Toddies Deck by Christopher O'Hara. "They're great hostess gifts or a present for a girlfriend--when you don't want to spend too much but want something interesting and quirky," Baudoin said.
Baudoin's favorite gift recommendation this season is the "gorgeous" Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds, edited by Billy Collins and illustrated by David Allen Sibley. Other staff gift picks range from Stephen King's Under the Dome to Michael Spradlin's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols. Cookbook choices include My Bread by Jim Lahey and Jennifer Linder McGlinn's Gingerbread, which Baudoin has used to make treats like gingerbread pound cake for store events. (She has another talent besides baking--she plays with a ukulele group that meets at the store twice a month.)
"We are feeling more joyful this year, and it has been really busy so far," said Baudoin. "The publishers delivered a whole bunch of really good books--good paperbacks and good hardcovers. It's easy to buy a book this year, and it coincides with people wanting to buy something with value, something meaningful and personal."--Shannon McKenna Schmidt