Two workshops held recently at the Foyles flagship bookstore on Charing Cross Road in London aimed to envision a new Foyles "bookshop of the future." Foyles is moving to new premises at the former home of Central Saint Martins College next spring. The Telegraph reported the workshop's participants--including authors, poets, sales directors, librarians, booksellers, technology developers, publicists and literary agents--"placed great emphasis on creating a sensory, tactile environment for children, recognizing the importance of the children's book market."
Ideas discussed at the sessions included "bibliotherapy," personal shopping, physical membership clubs, writers-in-residence, listening ports for audiobooks, moveable bookshelves "and a whole range of products and services including wedding gift lists, suggesting that future bookshops will be very much a social experience," the Telegraph wrote.
Miriam Robinson, Foyles's head of marketing, noted that "six hours of the day for busy people is not an insignificant period of time to give up. It has been so heartening to know people care this much."
