In Springfield, Mass., Olive Tree Books-n-Voices has reopened for browsing with limited hours and limited occupancy. Owner Zee Johnson explained that when the store closed in the middle of March, she and her team started taking more orders via telephone and text messages. They were also doing curbside pick-up, and have kept that going even after reopening for limited browsing in the summer.
Johnson noted that the store was "on the road to really expanding hours and expanding services" but, as cases have risen in Massachusetts, that has set things back a bit. In terms of general safety precautions, no one can enter without a mask, including young children, and everyone has to sanitize their hands before entry.
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Prior to the pandemic, Johnson said, the store thrived on "social interaction, community events, book signings and social gatherings," and with that in mind the store never had much of an online presence. Shutting down in March "certainly changed things quite a bit," and the store had to change its business model very quickly. Johnson hopes to have a fully functional online store up and running in time for the holidays.
On the subject of the holidays, Johnson has noticed that some of the sidelines and gifts that she bought early are already selling, and people "aren't waiting until November and December" to start buying gifts. She's glad she brought in these things early, and she has high hopes for book sales as well. With more people staying inside because of the weather and because of rising cases, she added, "what better way to have a wonderful environment inside?"
Roughly 80% of the titles Johnson carries are books by and about African Americans, and much of what she carried pertains to the African American experience. The terrible circumstances of George Floyd's death in May served as a catalyst for ongoing conversations about race relations. She was "bombarded" with orders from schools and other institutions, and her client base practically expanded overnight to include people from all over the country.
That support has continued, and Johnson said she's particularly proud of the relationships she's recently established with a variety of instutitions, including some Boston-area schools. It's not just that these schools are purchasing books from her, she explained. She also serves as a consultant, giving advice on what books would be best suited for different age groups and subjects.
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Bea and Leah Koch, owners of The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, Calif., reported that while they're allowing in-store browsing once again, things are "nowhere near normal." The store is not doing any in-person events and is open only five days a week instead of seven. Foot traffic during the week is "basically nonexistent," and the store is still doing about 95% of its business online. Prior to the pandemic, they pointed out, online sales represented around 20%-25% of business.
Per California's public health mandates, masks are required, and the pair has not had to remind a single customer to put one on. They've also limited the number of shoppers allowed in store and have temporarily removed all seating, to "encourage people to keep their visits quick."
On the subject of any bright spots amid all this, they said their customers have "truly been fantastic." They've been "so encouraging" and have made the owners feel loved. In particular, they've really enjoyed reading the comments that people leave with their online orders. And for virtual events, it's been "so nice to be able to include people from all over the country and around the world" that they'll continue doing them even after in-person events are allowed again.
When it came to buying for the holidays, the Koch sisters approached the process with the belief and hope that people will continue being very deliberate about shopping small. Even with in-store traffic down, they hope to have a robust holiday season online. In the belief that people will want things to be as easy and simple as possible, the store is putting together a variety of curated gift boxes. There will also be a large focus on self-care items for sidelines and long-distance/miss you holiday cards. --Alex Mutter