A Holiday Preparations Checklist

For new booksellers and experienced ones who would like a quick review, we present BTW’s annual holiday preparations checklist. We hope you’ll find something here that can help make the season go a little smoother for you, your staff, and your customers.

Spruce up the store and increase merchandising efforts

• Make the most of the Bookseller DIY’s new eye-catching poster and bookmark holiday designs [1], and look for past favorites in the holiday archive [2]. All designs can be customized with store information. (Have questions? Contact ABA Marketing Manager Paige Poe at 800- 637-0037, ext. 6668, or paige@bookweb.org [3].)
• Publicize your holiday hours well in advance, and don’t forget to plug your ability to meet customers’ needs 24/7 via your store website, on store signage and handouts, in e-newsletters and social media, in your telephone message, and any other place you can think of. Don’t forget to promote your ability to sell e-books!
• Make sure your after-hours telephone 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 non-book items next to books to increase impulse buys.
• Prominently post your returns and exchange policies.
• Check your store’s profile on Yelp, Google Maps, and other social media listings to make sure they provide complete, up-to-date information about your business and its services.

Update your website and Facebook page and use social media to promote holiday offerings, special events, and your ability to sell e-books

On your store 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. And remember to check your orders page frequently for new orders.
• Create a block to promote gift cards, and set it to appear on your front page, or on all pages.
• Promote sales of e-books by curating content on your site; use one of your IndieCommerce Drupal content areas to create a selection of five to 10 e-book titles that you think would have special appeal to your customers.
• Make sure someone on staff is always available to answer questions about e-books, and bookmark and print out copies of IndieCommerce.com’s Guide to Downloading Google eBooks™ [4] to hand to customers with questions.
• Encourage return e-book sales by setting up individualized or automated thank-you e-mails to customers [5], and remind first-time e-book buyers that they need to make subsequent orders via your website [6], not through the app they just downloaded on their reader.
• 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.

Take advantage of Indie Next List fliers and shelf-talkers as well as the Indie 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 fliers and shelf-talkers featuring each month’s Indie Next Great Reads Next Reads or the Now in Paperback titles, as well as the year-end 2011 Indie Next List Highlights [7], are available in an easily printable 8½” x 11” format on BookWeb.org [8]. (These are great as extra bag stuffers and for in-store displays.)
• Assign a staff member to print out the national [9] and/or regional [10] Indie Bestsellers Lists [11] each Thursday and replace the previous week’s lists. Save a space to display the 2011 Indie Bestsellers Highlights List (which will be published in BTW on December 8).
• Display Indie Bestseller Specialty Lists [12] 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 gift certificates or as presenters for gift cards. Cards and envelopes can be ordered via the electronic order form [13] 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 [14]’ [14]s gift card and holder templates [14]. Off-the-shelf options are available through giveXpress.com [15].

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. [16] Graeham Owens, a division of Ellerkamp, also offers handmade paper products designed exclusively for ABA. Products include IndieBound bookmarks and journals.
• AAA Label [17] is a 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 [18] 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 questions and failures, any emergencies that might pop up, 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.

If you have a great idea that you’d like to share, or would like input from your peers, post your suggestions or questions on the BookWeb’s Bookseller-to-Bookseller [19] Forum.

And have a profitable, and stress-free, holiday season!