An ideal bookshop

[Newjobnewstartbooks]

If you lived in a small town, what would you want from an independent bookshop? Clubs? Coffee? Wine? Toddler reading? Cheap?

Like @WhatHaveIDone21 , I used to live somewhere with a book exchange.

You'd buy a book. If you brought the book back, you'd get a stamp and a discount off your next book. Collect enough stamps and you'd get a free book. All second hand.

Oh this was a my specialist subject....

A large 2nd book section.
A good selection of quality cards + beautiful stationery.
Separate little cafe area that serves hot drinks + homemade cakes.
Create little reading nooks and window seats.
Staff that Know. Their. Stuff. (I was recently served by an assistant who didn't know what an ISBN was???)
Offer a mail order service.

Now, decor and lighting are really important. The very best colour is Phthalo Green, which is a very rich, saturated warm green shade. Professional designers recognise it as the colour most likely to create feelings of comfort and cosiness. That's why it's used extensively in the Home Alone house and the little shop in Last Christmas. Add in a few touches of dark red and you have perfection.

Lighting should be a mix of lamps and twinkly fairy lights (as used in Meg Ryan's bookshop in You Got Mail).

Noticeboard is a really good shout!

If you do a proper business plan you will soon realise that a bookshop is not a profitable business. Even if you run it as a charity or social enterprise/CIC it will be almost only to cover your costs.

Rent on anywhere with some footfall will be £10k+. Then rates of thousands.

Gas & electricity are at commercial rates which are much higher than domestic charges. So that's several thousand more.

You won't be able to afford staff at the new minimum wage so will have to do it yourself for free or run a volunteer model.

Shop fitting will be £20k-£50k.

Then stock £10k min.

Insurance.
Accountancy.
Legal advice.
Regulatory requirements.

You would have to be sure of sales of £4k minimum every month before it's viable.

This is why there are so few bookshops.

The only ones surviving are bought outright shop units staffed by someone who doesn't require any earned income.

With the coffee shop - seems odd but I'd say charge more for take out coffees. If someone is sitting in, with a coffee in a China cup, they are more likely to engage with you and the product.

Charging an extra £1.50 on top for to go coffees stops people just using you as an alternative to any other take out coffee shop.

Yes, good point, the one near us doesn't do take-out, and it is one person making the coffees and manning the till, it is surrounded by Costa and the like so no big queues of take-out customers cluttering up the shop.

Grand piano in the middle of the room Black Books-style. Icing on cake = being told off by Bernard for trying to buy a book.

A very small selection of unusual stationery and notebooks.

Tinkly bell at the door. Good warm lighting, windows with lots of views into wild flower garden. Bench outside for the warmer seasons. Quiet light classical music in the background. Little handwritten book reviews (short-ish). No elves on the shelves!

Yup. Different priorities, though.

Our amazing but tiny local bookshop seems to keep itself going through links with local schools, setting up all their author events and running book fairs etc. It's an awful lot of work but seems to keep them afloat as well as very loyal local customers.

I believe I have found this shop this week, recommended to me by a colleague when I was having an arduous day. It was bliss. I'll be back often. Is it incongruously in a modern shopping centre round the corner from Poundland in what is otherwise a quintessentially picturesque small English city?

four floors of booked crammed everywhere. there is a shop in ryde isle of wight like this. it's so unique. and full of books everywhere

These ideas all sound lovely. I’d want somewhere relaxing which for me would mean no kids.

I often dream of having a large bookshop - I'd have an area selling cheap pre-loved books (or a swop basis), a lovely cosy reading area with booths and lamps and decorated like an old-fashioned library where tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches are available to buy, a childrens area full of bright colours and beanbags in a separate childrens room where water, juice, fruit and sandwiches are available, another room for book club meetings with cosy sofas and coffee tables and refreshments as above and then another part of the building would be a bright bookshop selling brand new books.

Sorry, I've not been helpful at all but have loved imagining my own (probably totally unworkable) bookshop.

As an avid reader, I like bookshops that are bright, clean and have clear sections and genres and wide walkways so you have room to read the back of the book without getting in the way of others.

Special editions ! I love a special edition and things like sprayed edges ect seem to be very popular atm . We are willing to pay big bucks for them 🤣

We often go on date days for special editions- my husband loves it 🤣

Offer a book subscription, similar to what either Daunt Books or Libreria offer?

Space!
I love a bookshop, but most of the bookshops (and cafes etc) that are cosy and characterful, books everywhere type, I can't navigate in my wheelchair - even if there's not quaint little steps to get in the narrow door.
I would love something with that cosy atmosphere but with actually enough room to move around and browse the books without constantly being in danger of knocking something off a shelf.

All the above, especially coffee and somewhere to sit.

Also, open in the evening and weekends.

The local bookshops I've seen that have survived have all sold a range of Knick knacks, not just books. Often book or writing related. But book sales alone don't seem to make enough money.

I suspect people love browsing bookshops more than they like buying books!

I think I need to get you all on board as a committee! I know I’m probably be idealistic and too hopeful but I’m determined to give it a go. I’ll try and make it as many of those things as possible. A relaxing gorgeous book haven that also pays my bills. Maybe I have read too many of the bookshop by the sea books!

You need to hire me but it’s in a small town and I move there and find true love and live happily ever after with a local indie author who was grumpy but I’ve changed him.

not sure what I’m telling my husband though.

We have one locally that is heavily subsidised by the local authority as a community hub. It's a very rural area. It does an amazing sunday brunch 😋

Really sorry but I agree. Not least because I looked into this several years ago and things have only got worse. None of them “what I would like to have in a bookshop” suggestions will make you any money. How many books would you need to sell each day to break even? Assuming you’re open 6 days a week and don’t pay any staff?

I think I've been to that bookshop, and found it very nice, was in there for ages.

I think late opening is a very good idea, that was one of the best things about Borders.

Even the seemingly swankiest indie bookstore in my city seems to do a lot of events, or gets used for regular club/group meetups and private events (has a very fancy room), and I suspect they rely heavily on these to keep the lights on each month.
As you're in a small town it'll really be a lot of wooing the local groups (breastfeeding mums, knit and natter, board game enthusiasts...) to meet in there even if just for a coffee a person.

One idea, though I know most here don't want any kids about, is to offer your own monthly book clubs. 1-6yo: Pay £10, so they get that month's picture book plus an adults' drink (and squash/babyccinos for kids) at a mid morning session where you/staff read the book aloud to the little ones.
Amend for KS2 and adult book clubs, etc. Offer a cheaper ticket (£4) for those who want admission plus drink, but have the book themselves, to encourage them into the habit of coming anyway.

This indie bookshop in Oxford looks interesting, there are often interesting things going on there - https://www.instagram.com/curiobookshop/