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Independent Retailing & the Shop Local Movement Under the Spotlight
June 11, 2008
ABA Board members and local business alliance activists Steve Bercu of BookPeople
in Austin, Texas, and Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville,
Illinois, were the featured speakers at the American Booksellers Association's
panel "Independent Retailing in 2008: A Report on the Shop Local Movement,"
moderated by ABA COO Oren Teicher, at BookExpo America.
Introducing the afternoon session at ABA's May 29 Day of Education, Teicher
stressed that, when it comes to the Shop Local movement, booksellers should
remember that it includes all independent retailers. "We're not alone,"
he said, and reported that ABA is currently working with a number of independent
trade associations and is reaching out to others. Working with other independents
is important, he noted, because "50 percent of American consumers who shop
at independent retailers do so because they are independent." As such,
independent booksellers should look for ways to cross-promote with their fellow
independents.
"There is something happening in retailing that we can take of advantage
of," Teicher continued, referring to a growing trend toward localism and
sustainability. "These are trends that are bigger than us but working to
our advantage. The burden is on us to try to figure out how to take advantage
of it. We need to put tools in your hands that can be used by all indie retailers."
One such tool that Teicher referred to was the "Here's
What You Just Did" poster , enumerating the many ways a customer
who shops at a local independent business positively affects his or her community.
(The poster is available for download and customization by ABA members via the
Identity Manager
for IndieBound
, the new ABA initiative promoting the value of independents, launched at this
year's Celebration of Bookselling.)
Bercu reported that his foray into the localism movement began about seven
years ago with what was then a small business alliance, the Austin Independent
Business Alliance (AIBA). "We modeled it on the Boulder Independent
Business Alliance," he said, adding that booksellers should
not delay in starting an alliance in their own communities. "As soon as
you get another business [on board], start it. Don't worry about bylaws, or
what kind of nonprofit you should be. You just need to tell people you are an
independent alliance. Talk about it to your customers."
Anderson told the audience about her grandfather who started a local Naperville
group, "Can Do," which, at the time, featured all local merchants.
"[Naperville has] seen a lot of changes, a lot of growth," she said,
and as the downtown grew, "it developed into a different kind of town.
Developers came in and bought blocks." The Downtown
Naperville Merchants Association, which included both indies and
chains, was created to help promote the area, but "it was the indies who
got involved," said Anderson. Eventually, this led to the formation of
the Downtown
Naperville Alliance.
One key benefit to beginning an independent alliance is broadening your business'
reach to potential customers, Bercu said. "We don't have the same customers
as other independents," Bercu said. "So they're showing their business
to my customers, and I'm showing my business to theirs. You have an incredible
advantage in starting an alliance today. The reality is that, all across the
country, consciousness is being raised. People are looking for local -- maybe
it's gas prices, or the green movement or sustainability. It's the one time
in my business that my self-interest coincided with what is good for anybody!
And it keeps us in the center of our community."
The panelists all agreed that there is a sea change occurring. "People
are looking for community," Bercu said. "We know people don't need
to buy a book in our store, they do it for the experience. They have to have
a social interaction and that's what we offer."
Bercu added that his alliance has garnered his store a great deal of free publicity
through stories in the local papers. "If anyone thinks it's not that worthwhile
to get all this press you need to go back to business school," he said.
"That's just another side benefit."
Attendee Ron Green of Bookworks in Albuquerque, New Mexico, told BTW
he enjoyed the panel. "I'm optimistic about the future," he said.
"The younger generation is very independent, and very savvy regarding advertising.
They won't fall for the traditional corporate spin."
"Independent Retailing" session materials, made available to all
bookstore members via BookWeb.org prior to the Day of Education, include:
Booksellers can easily download and reproduce these fliers and bookmarks to
drive home the importance of shopping locally to their customers. More information
about local alliances and other resources is available under the Advocacy Section of BookWeb.org.
Full details about IndieBound, the community-oriented initiative that
enlightens the world about the value of independent businesses, promotes those
values that make indies unique, and gives booksellers the tools for their stores
and their communities to help spread the passion, can also be found on BookWeb.
--David Grogan
Topics: News - Bookselling, Main Street / Shop Local, Education, BookExpo,
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