Golden Owl Bookshop, a bookmobile that sells titles for children and adults, has found success since first hitting the road in Reno, Nev., six months ago. Owner Alex McClelland told the Nevada Independent that she sells more adult titles than children's titles, with self-help books and business books being the standouts.
McClelland's nine-year-old son, Broden, inspired her to open a bookstore when he asked if Reno had any mobile bookstores like one he'd learned about in school. At the time McClelland was a stay-at-home mom, and she thought, "Let's go for it," and started researching the bookselling business. McClelland briefly considered opening a bricks-and-mortar store in addition to a book truck, but "real estate right now is insane."
Gold Owl Bookshop debuted in May, and McClelland said it met with success almost immediately. "I've only had a couple of days where it really wasn't worth my time to be out there. It's actually been [a] hugely pleasant surprise because people want physical books. They don't want to be reading on a screen all the time."
McClelland uses a wi-fi hotspot and digital register for payments and keeps the inventory from bouncing around too much in transit with a system of bungee cords. She noted that because her store is mobile, she can bring books to parts of Reno that have no bookstores of their own.