Eureka Bar: 8 Lessons for & from a Bookstore

I just love reading books. It's not that I'm a big enthusiast but whenever I get some time, I'm into it. So this habit of mine usually takes me to a place where I personally feel very relaxed i.e. A Bookstore. Though trust me I used to hate going to the library when I was in school and used to think it's a simple waste of space by keeping books rather than making a playground out of it. Hehe :-)

Anyway this month's flavour is "Why do I love these People" by Po Bronson (thanks to Gaurav via Facebook Apps). I will give a review of it later in my Facebook profile if not in my blog. But first things first. This post is about Bookstores. I learnt new things during my visit which actually made me sit and write this post. So some of the learnings as well as the strategies that bookstores may/can use are:

• I came to know that modern day Bookstores use mostly two types of cataloging- One is the type of books kept on categories like on Management, Sociology, Philosophy etc and the other is shelving books of all A's or B's separately like you will find all the books of Seth Godin under "S" named shelf and likewise. But my personal favorite is the former one. Thinking how many people buy like me...I mean by topics rather than having a book already in their mind??


• The inner ambience is more important than the external visual appeal.


• People get inside the bookstore to spend some quality time. So have plenty of comfy chairs strategically placed in between the shelves.


• Don't keep nudging the customers too often to make him buy a book rather make him more comfortable and if possible give the options of variety of book (this should be used only if it's a first time customer).


• Give him a booklet with a small "thank you for visiting us" smiley as well as of the category of books that the store has and if customer service is your prime aim then booklet with the store layout is not a bad idea.


• Personally I don't like bookstore having two or more floors as it becomes tedious to stroll through easily but if it is then go back to #5.


• Pass the rebate as discount coupon on the next item they buy. Just stamp it at the back of the coupon to keep a track.


• A must have section dedicated only for “Harry Porter typo kids” where a storyteller can recite small part of a story and then suddenly stop and make it all the more interesting for the kids to pester their parents to buy that buy. Trust me it works (seen it, it works…Parents beware!!!). Anyways please excuse me if I’m acting like a hard-bound marketer here.

So let me know if you have experienced something like this in a bookstore or some new type of strategy bookstores are using...