Independent bookstores fight to keep afloat
The bow was previously attached to a gift-wrapped book for customer Brian Konzen, of Granite City, before the less-than-1-year-old feline jumped on the counter and snatched the bow as a toy.
"We have people that come in just to see that cat," Andi Allen, owner of Piece of Mind Books, said with a laugh. "The cat is a draw, although we had an old cat who died this summer who was even more well-known because she was just super affectionate."Index, who often spends time laying on a shelf in the front windowsill of Piece of Mind Books, is one of the nuances of the independent bookstore that likely would not be found in a chain bookstore.
Piece of Mind Books has been in Edwardsville since 1991, but it is one of the last of a dying breed of independent bookstores in Madison County. The Book Nook and Faith Talk Company, both independent bookstores in Edwardsville, closed in that last few years. Main Street Books USA, in Collinsville, also closed.
The trend exists for the larger part of Illinois. Eight independent bookstores that opened in Illinois in 2006 or 2007 joined the American Booksellers Association, but none of those stores are in the lower half of the state.
Avin Mark Domnitz, chief executive officer for the ABA, a nonprofit organization designed to promote independent booksellers, according to the association's Web site, said that independents actually are doing "quite well" on the national level.
"I really think there's a movement afoot in the United States today about favoring independents, locally owned, local sustainable economies," he said.
Still, Domnitz said he knows independent stores face the challenge of competing in a competitive market.
"There's no question about it, big box retailers, national retailers are formidable competition for independents," Domnitz said.
Piece of Mind Books experiences this competition daily.
Allen said her business has taken a hit since the August 2007 arrival of Borders in Edwardsville. This has led Allen to come up with other avenues to remain competitive with a chain bookstore in town.
"One of the things that we've recently added is a recycled books section," Allen said. "I was strictly new books until October. When the chain [bookstore] came in, I thought, 'Well what can we do that they won't do?' And I thought that's something that they won't do."
Konzen, who was making his first visit to the store on May 22, said he thinks recycled books are one of the biggest advantages for independent bookstores.
"I like to browse used books when I have chance because you do find things that you'll never find in a Borders or a Walden(books) or a Barnes and Noble," said Konzen, who during his visit to Piece of Mind Books bought a used book and a signed copy of a new book for his brother.
Even with the small section of recycled books, Piece of Mind Books remains a bookstore that sells primarily new books and other non-book items, such as a large selection of greeting cards. This leaves the store to compete against national retailers who sell new books.
Kolleen O'Meara, a public relations specialist for Borders' corporate office, said a national book retailer has the advantage of giving customers the ability to "go online and purchase a book and have it delivered to your home or store to pick-up. We have a convenience factor."
O'Meara said Borders has similar competitors, such as Wal-Mart and online marketplaces, that independent bookstores face and that national bookstores and independent bookstores can co-exist well.
"Really, independent bookstores and Borders work great side-by-side because, I've seen in many cases, if we don't have a book we'll send that customer to the bookstore down the street knowing that they carry it," O'Meara said.
More than the chain bookstores, Allen said it's been difficult for her to compete against the online book selling markets, which are becoming increasingly popular.
Therefore, to be successful in the book market, Allen said it's important for her store to have a knowledgeable staff which gives customers individual attention.
"What makes us strong is that we're very personalized," Allen said. "When you come in, you're talking to people that read books. The books that are on the shelf are books that I've selected. They're not just something that a computer has decided we should have."
One way Allen has tried to give this personal attention is by having a section of books recommended by the different staff members who work at Piece of Mind Books. She also said that processing customer's special request orders in a timely fashion has helped her regain some business that originally was lost when Borders arrived last year. In addition, Allen has been able to bring in well-known authors such as Mitch Albom and Robert B. Parker for book signings, which helps increase sales.
Outside of Piece of Mind Books, Sonshine Unlimited in Granite City is one of the few independent bookstores in the area still in business. While Piece of Mind Books has books of numerous genres, Sonshine Unlimited, which opened in 1984, has found its niche as a Christian bookstore. The store also has Christian CDs, DVDs, greeting cards and jewelry.
"If you're a Christian bookstore, you only do this if it's God-appointed," said Carole Canady, owner of Sonshine Unlimited. "You're not going to make it otherwise. So for me it's a matter of, if God has put you there, then this is your mission. This is what you do. It's a ministry, and it's not about just selling books. It's about helping people."
Canady said she thinks competing against stores such as Wal-Mart and Sam's Club is an even greater challenge for her store than competing against chain bookstores. And because of the influence of online book dealing, Canady said she is preparing for an entrance into the online market.
This is part of a trend to move online that Domnitz said is occurring with independents nation-wide.
"Independents in the last couple of years are working their way into that part of the market," Domnitz said. "Anything that helps to distribute books ultimately works to the advantage of independents."
Similar to Allen at Piece of Mind Books, Canady said the personal service her bookstore can offer is probably its greatest advantage over a non-independent bookstore.
"I think sometimes customers don't know what they're looking for until they explain to you what it is they need, and then they know how to look once you show them what areas they're looking from," she said.
For Canady, a librarian for 18 years before she opened Sonshine Unlimited, the necessities to be an independent bookseller are simple.
"You have to have a love of books, and you have to have a love of people," she said.
That and, if you're like Allen, a love of cats.
