Brian Weiskopf, store manager at Interabang Books in Dallas, Tex., reported that the team is "very happy with the way business has progressed" in 2021. Last year's holiday season was very strong, and things have been brisk since. In-store traffic has stayed healthy despite mask mandates, occupancy restrictions and the availability of online shopping options. Customers, he added, were always very considerate and conscientious.
Weiskopf added that things have "pretty much returned normal"--but Interabang might have a slightly different definition of normal compared to most stores. In October 2018 a tornado destroyed the store, and while Interabang was back up and running in a new location with temporary fixtures in less than a month, it took some time to rebuild the inventory. The store had to close again to install permanent fixtures, and during those times the store encouraged customers to use online ordering options to continue to support the store.
That proved to be "great training for dealing with the pandemic," especially in the early stages, and again for the terrible cold snap Texas experienced in February. A pipe burst in an adjacent store, which flooded Interabang, and the store had to close again. No books were damaged that time, Weiskopf said, which made for a faster recovery.
The store has relaxed its mask requirements, with vaccinated customers and staff no longer required to wear masks. Some customers, he noted, still prefer to shop with masks, and Weiskopf plans to keep a close eye on infection rates. If there is a spike in cases in Dallas or if the CDC issues any new warnings or policies, masks and occupancy restrictions could return. So far there have been no complaints about the store's policies from customers or staff members.
This week, Interabang resumed hosting in-store author events. A local author stopped by and drew a crowd of about two dozen, with Weiskopf reporting there were no problems. The team doesn't plan to approach events any differently than they did in the past, though they expect unvaccinated attendees to wear masks. The store will host two more events over the weekend, including its first story time session since the pandemic began. Afterward the team will assess how things went: "Right now, I don't foresee any problems."
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| An outdoor event at Linden Tree last week. | |
In Los Altos, Calif., things at Linden Tree Children's Books are "pretty close to normal at this point," reported store co-owner Chris Saccheri. The store is back to its pre-pandemic hours, with the only difference being that the store will remain closed on Mondays--that was a change that Saccheri and co-owner Flo Grosskurth made during the pandemic that they plan to keep.
Everyone is still required to wear a mask, and Saccheri expects that to continue for the foreseeable future, even though California is on track to reopen significantly on June 15. Linden Tree is primarily a children's bookstore, and since most children won't be vaccinated, the masks will remain on. He and Grosskurth have, however, removed the last of the capacity restrictions.
Sales in 2021 have been "pretty much on par" with pre-pandemic years, though the store was operating with limited hours and occupancy for the first few months of the year. Over the past month or so, people have started to "come back in full force." Los Altos's downtown is much busier, restaurants have reopened and people are "anxious to get out and about."
With more customers stopping by, online sales have dipped a bit, but they're still above pre-pandemic levels. Going forward, the store will continue to offer curbside pick-up and local delivery, as well as private appointments. Appointments are not as popular now as they were when the store's hours were limited, but people still sign up for them and appreciate having the store to themselves.
Linden Tree Children's Books has just started to experiment with hosting in-person events again. Last week the bookstore hosted a local author for an outdoor event. The reading was "fantastic," and there were cupcakes and additional activities for the kids. Everyone was spaced and wearing masks, and it "felt like the old days but outdoors." The store will continue to experiment with hosting outdoor events and may do some indoor events later in the summer. Those, Saccheri said, will likely also be broadcast online for people who don't yet feel comfortable attending events.
"We're excited," he continued. "We're optimistic for the first time in a year and a half." --Alex Mutter