Naomi Chamblin, owner of Napa Bookmine in Napa and St. Helena, Calif., reported that across all three stores, gross sales in 2020 were only slightly down compared to 2019.
The flagship store, which is supported mostly by locals and is about 1,550 square feet, was actually up by about 40%, while the location inside the Oxbow Public Market, which is very small and historically the most profitable location, was down by about 55%. Chamblin noted that the Oxbow Public Market store was completely closed several times as it was affected by state mandates pertaining to malls.
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| Bookmine in St. Helena | |
Napa Bookmine also has a 250-square-foot store in St. Helena, which it purchased in November 2019. While there isn't much of a record to compare 2020 to, Chamblin said, December 2020 was down compared to December 2019 by about 10%. The landlord there, however, was "very thoughtful" and gave discounts from April through February, so the location covered its costs.
Chamblin said there were numerous bright spots amid all the difficulties of 2020, including rolling out various subscription programs and promoting some long-time employees to take on greater responsibilities. The Bookmine team also "dialed in" its online sales system, and the stores became more efficient overall. The staff, Chamblin continued, now feels closer-knit after making it through several "really stressful" months.
Chamblin said she is feeling hopeful about the remainder of the year. Tourism will return eventually, and until then, the stores are being lifted by locals who have made a commitment to supporting small businesses.
Looking even further ahead, Napa Bookmine is still planning to make a big move: early next year the flagship location will relocate from its current home on Pearl St. to a building in downtown Napa that Bookmine is purchasing. Chamblin noted that they made their first down payment on that building in the spring of 2016, so it has been a "long buildout process." The main focus of 2021 will be preparing for that move, with Chamblin adding that the new space is "starting to take shape."
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In Wake Forest, N.C., Page 158 Books is open for browsing but continues to offer deliveries, curbside pick-up and mail orders, and co-owner Suzanne Lucey reported that the store wil continue to do so. Reflecting on 2020, Lucey said it felt that she and her team were "going the wrong way on a merry go round," and during the Christmas rush it felt like it was "at high speed."
The team's job descriptions changed daily, and they worked constantly to adjust to different rules and restrictions as well as their customers' needs. Everything the store did in the "before times," Lucey noted, has been reworked to accommodate a skeleton crew, and it feels like they've "rebuilt the wheel."
Lucey praised the store's community and customers, who "amaze" the team everyday. She noted that her great-grandfather owned a business that survived the 1918 pandemic, and she plans to "plow through this like he did." She and her team feel "pretty proud" with they way they've been able to roll with the punches and stay afloat since last March. --Alex Mutter