What I Learned When I Opened My Bookstore

I have always, always wanted my very own bookstore. I love books, the feel of them, the feeling I get when I am browsing in a bookstore. Sure, I have a Kindle too, but I can’t give up the appeal of a solid book in my hands. I promised myself that if I had a windfall (the lottery, someone leaving me their fortune), I would use it to fulfil my dreams. Well, I got my windfall, and I knew there was no turning back. I was going to have my very own bookstore!

Know your Customers and your Product

I knew I wanted to sell books, but what of that? There are so many bookstores all around the place. The big brands are going out of business because of Kindle and e-books. So what would be my product, and who would be buying it? The good part about having an ambition? You obsess over it, join groups that share your passion, discuss your ideas online. I learned that there was a market for graphic novels and manga comics. People still like to read such books in their physical form. Have you tried reading manga on your Kindle? So you know what I mean.

Figure out your Strategy to Attract Customers

According to a blog article on shopify.com, you need to know how you will sell what you want to sell, and give a reason for people to come to your store. Yes, I was selling graphic novels and manga comics. People can buy these in other shops, so why would they come to mine? I knew I had to create an environment to differentiate the customer experience of those coming to my shop. Make it a visual delight, a magnet attracting the fans of my books. I had to get people to come in, so I organised special events, advertised online coupons that could only be used in my store., and so on.

Use your Mailing Lists Effectively

Use your mailing lists to personally invite customers to your store for special events, the launch of a new book, an exclusive preview to a sale, what have you. As a blog article on retaildoc.com says, you could even email just a “thank you” letter to your most valued customers, reminding them that you appreciate their business.

Cut your Losses

I was bound to make some mistakes, but I didn’t need to dwell on them. Instead, I jolly well had to learn from them and move on. As an article on forbes.com says, “Retailers are bound to make poor inventory investments or have a slow month; however successful retailers analyze these situations as opportunities to learn from versus beat themselves up over.” I used the data I collected, installed social media monitoring software to see how my Facebook, Twitter and website were doing in terms of attracting loyalty and fans, tracked the activities of my most loyal customers. Sure, I can’t say that I never made a mistake again, but at least I didn’t make the same mistake twice.

How you Display your Product is Crucial

I was just selling books, right? That too, graphic novels and manga? So I just alphabetize them like they do in libraries and stack them in shelves, right? Wrong. Companies like Metaline Products offer customized solutions for displaying your goods in your store, right from designing the display to producing the display stand. I knew I had to go professional if I wanted to succeed. It is not enough to sit back and admire your display once it is ready; you need to change it around so that you don’t become boring.