Independent Bookstore Day Brought Record-Breaking Sales For These Small Bookstores
- 2019-05-10
- Forbes
Last Saturday, April 27, was the fifth, and largest, Independent Bookstore Day to date, with 580 stores participating in the nationwide promotion which featured special events, author readings and signings, exclusive merchandise, bookstore crawls and bargains—with a corresponding increase in sales for many bookstores. Three of them, Wild Geese Bookshop in Franklin, Indiana, The Bookshop in Nashville, Tennessee, Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas, shared how this celebration of indie bookstores raised their bottom line, including breaking sales records.
The store gave away a pin and a tote bag, which features a map of 13 Indiana bookstores, to the first 10 customers on IBD. Bringing the tote to any of the featured stores grants customers 15% off a purchase, which Phillips credits with helping increase sales and traffic.
All three bookstore owners noted that while the day itself is special for their stores, in terms of both sales figures and atmosphere, they hope the patronage continues throughout the year.