A Holiday Survival Guide

As soon as the last piece of Halloween candy is consumed, the holidays will be upon us. So, now’s the time to ensure everything is in place to make this busiest of seasons the easiest it can be for you, your staff, and your customers. To help, here’s a holiday checklist that covers all the bases – from merchandising and promotion to stocking supplies and using social media.

Spruce up the store and increase merchandising efforts

• Make the most of IndieBound’s new eye-catching holiday designs for posters, gift tags, bookmarks, a wish list counter card, and more. All of the designs can be used as is, or booksellers can customize them with store information. (Have questions? Contact ABA Marketing Manager Paige Poe at 800- 637-0037, ext. 6668, or paige@bookweb.org.)

• Promote your holiday hours. Create signs for store windows and/or doors that list your holiday hours and website address. Publicize special holiday hours well in advance. And don’t forget to plug your ability to sell e-books wherever possible.

• Make sure your after-hours voicemail message is up to date. It should clearly state your store hours and web address and mention whether the caller can leave a message.

• Re-evaluate your store’s general appearance. Update and replace worn shelf-talkers.

• Pre-wrap bestselling titles, but be sure to place a sticker on the outside with the title, ISBN, and price. Leave an unwrapped book at the top of the pile with a small sign that says, “Wrapped and ready to go!”

• Spur gift card sales by placing display cards throughout the store.

• Place related nonbook items next to books to increase impulse buys.

• Prominently post your returns and exchange policies.

• Check your IndieBound.org store profile and other social media listings to make sure that they provide complete, up-to-date information about your business and its services.

Take advantage of Indie Next List fliers and Bestsellers lists

• Assign a staff member to be on the lookout for the Red and White Boxes during these busy months, so the arrival of the latest Indie Next List fliers, other promotional materials, and last-minute special offers from ABA Publisher Partners don’t get lost among stock deliveries. Don’t forget that downloadable PDF versions of the latest Next lists are available on BookWeb.org and IndieBound.org. (These are great as extra bag stuffers and for in-store displays.)

• Assign a staff member to print out the national and/or regional Indie Bestsellers Lists each Thursday and replace the previous week’s lists. Save a space to display the 2010 Indie Bestsellers Highlights List (which will be published in BTW in December).

• Display Indie Bestseller Specialty Lists in appropriate sections of your store.

Stock up on gift cards and presenters

• Use Mary Engelbreit’s “A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again” paper certificates as a gift certificate or as a presenter for your gift card. Cards and envelopes can be ordered via the electronic order form or by calling (800) 637-0037, ext. 6636. Allow two to five business days for shipping.

• If you use gift cards or certificates, make sure you have enough. Use BookWeb’s gift card and holder templates. Off-the-shelf options are available through giveXpress.com.

Update your IndieCommerce site and Facebook page and use social media to promote holiday offerings and special events

On your IndieCommerce site be sure to:

• Update store hours if they change for the holiday season.

• Reinforce the store’s brand by making the content online complement in-store displays.

• Post your shipping policy, along with a delivery schedule: For example, “Usually Ships in 1 - 5 Days,” “On Our Shelves Now,” or “Order by [fill in the date] for Delivery by December 25.” Whatever language you choose, make sure customers know that books ordered after a certain date may not arrive in time for the holiday.

• Consider promoting gift cards in your “Store Greeting.”

• Promote sales of e-books by curating content on your site: for example, use one of your Drupal content areas to create a selection of five to 10 e-book titles to promote to your customers.

• Be sure the store URL appears on cash register receipts, bags, bookmarks, printed and/or electronic newsletters, gift cards and/or gift card backers, store letterhead, business cards, and in all staff e-mail signatures.

Check your inventory of business and office supplies

• Stock up on paper and reusable bags, stickers, and other business supplies. IndieBound natural Kraft recycled bags, with or without store customization; popular “Peace. Love. Books.” reusable bags; and specialized giftwrap for bookstores are available from W.G. Ellerkamp, Inc. Graeham Owens, a division of Ellerkamp, also offers handmade paper products designed exclusively for ABA. Products include IndieBound bookmarks and journals.

• AAA Label is the source for stickers with promotional messages such as “Local Author” and “Autographed Copy.” When placing an order, be sure to mention that you are an ABA member.

• Check other supplies, including acrylic holders for fliers and shelf-talkers, register tape, terminal paper, etc.

• Use ABA’s Booksellers Resource Directory to locate suppliers of nonbook products, office supplies, business services, and more.

Don’t forget about your staff!

• Talk to staff about expectations and potential scheduling conflicts.

• Train a range of employees to handle long lines, returns, exchanges, technology failures, emergencies, and to fill in wherever necessary.

• Plan small perks, such as food and drinks, for the busy days ahead to keep staff members energized and happy.

Have a great idea that you want to share? Want to gather input from your peers? Post your suggestions or questions on the BookWeb’s Bookseller-to-Bookseller Forum.