What makes a great used book store?
By thescribbler
@thescribbler (386)
United States
March 21, 2008 1:50am CST
At the ripe old age of 60, I'm starting a new career. A new business. This is a dream I've had for a very long time and now I'm going to make it come true. I'm going to open a small used book store in my little desert town. There's never been a bookstore here, ever. Mine will be the first. I've already done much of the prep work with the town and the county. I have a location, have started acquiring inventory, and have done a budget and business plan.
But now I'm wondering just what I can do to make this book store special. I plan to have a self-serve coffee/tea/hot chocolate bar. Also greeting cards and bookmarks. Some places to sit and relax.
What else can I do? If you were going into a used book store, what would you want to see? Not see? What would make you want to come back again. Thanks for your input. I really want this to be a great place for everyone.
3 responses
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
4 Apr 08
What you have sounds really nice. Are you selling kids book as well or just grown up books? You could have a story time once a week for about a half hour. Read to the kids while the mom's have nice quiet chance to explore the store and look for books while their chilren are being read to. You can ring up the sales after the story time. You might want to have a friend come and help you out for that half hour so someone is available to watch the register while someone reads to the children, but if you get the word out it could really help you to bring in a lot of Stay at Home Moms.
1 person likes this
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
5 Apr 08
We're planning a great kids' section of books and have just purchased a pint-sized park bench just for their aisle. My husband, who is now retired, spent his career as a puppeteer in the corporate arena. We just bought him two new puppets so that he can read to the kids each week. We might even have all the kids' books discounted that day. I hadn't thought about the Moms. Maybe we can do something for them, too.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
5 Apr 08
That sounds really wonderful. Believe me just entertaining their kids for a little while, so they can shop will be wonderful for them. I go to my local used book store all the time with my 4 year old, and I am constantly worried about him the whole time which makes it hard for me to look. They know us really well there and there are a couple of ladies that work there that love my son. The one will sit and look through books with him if there are no other customers, so I can look. There is also a teenage girl that works there that just loves him. If there are no other customers she will play peek a boo with him. That is always nice. But when there are other customers I always have to keep one eye on him which is hard when you are trying to browse through books. It sounds like you are going to have a wonderful book store.
@mrtimharry (1180)
•
21 Mar 08
Good luck with your new business
Firstly I always like the person behind the till to know about books, and have a good range of knwoledge about fiction authors and good factual general knowledge.
Clearly partioned sections are another bonus fact versus fiction, with all shelves clearly marked as to the subjects held on them
I know its not always possible but enough space for two people to walk by each other. There is nothing worse than when i am looking at books on the bottom shelf having to move to let another patron walk by
1 person likes this
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
5 Apr 08
Thank you for the wonderful advice. I know something about books, and in acquiring inventory, I'm learning much more. I hope to be as knowledgeable as my customers before long. All shelves and sections will be clearly marked. But I can only have 36" wide aisles due to the small size of my space. I hope it will be wide enough.
@paid2write (5201)
•
21 Mar 08
I wish you success in your new business. It looks to me as if you are doing all the right things. I think your enthusiasm will be your greatest asset. People who love books will want to keep coming back to your store if they find it a good place to browse and find books which are both familiar and unknown to them.
1 person likes this
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
5 Apr 08
Thank you. It's my goal to have thousands of books for customers to browse. I hope they'll find what they're looking for, and if they don't find it here, I'll gladly help them find it elsewhere.
