Independent Retailing & the Shop Local Movement Under the Spotlight

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:

• Creating Buy Local Campaigns & Forming Local Business Alliances
• Bookmarks to Educate and Promote
• Local Economies Flier
• Keep a Good Thing Good Flier
• The Buck Really Does Stop Here Flier

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