A Holiday Prep Checklist

For busy booksellers who are making their holiday to-do lists, Bookselling This Week provides some quick reminders about in-store merchandising, promoting via social media, and having the right supplies on hand.

Freshen up and increase merchandising efforts

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

• Check your after-hours voice mail message. Make sure that it clearly states your store hours and web address and mentions whether the caller can leave a message.

• 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 complementary non-book items next to titles to increase impulse buys.

• Make the most of IndieBound's many eye-catching holiday designs for posters, gift labels, bookmarks, ad slicks, postcards, palm cards, newsletters, bag stuffers, and more, all in the Bookseller DIY. (Help is available from IndieBound Outreach Liaison Paige Poe at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6668, or paige@bookweb.org.)

• Prominently post your returns and exchange policies.

• Check your IndieBound.org store profile to make sure that it provides complete, up-to-date information about your business and its services.

Make the most 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, new this year, 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 on your walls for the 2009 Indie Bestsellers Highlights List (publishing in BTW in December).

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

Stock up on ABA gift cards and presenters

• Reorder generic and imprinted cards and holders from the ABA Gift Card Program via the order site. Supplies are limited. Orders for generic cards placed by 3:00 p.m. Central Time will ship the same day. If your imprint is already on file and no changes are required, imprinted cards will take two to five working days. Shipping is based on weight and zip code, and all costs are passed through. The fulfillment house is located in Illinois and can deliver in one to five business days to most addresses via FedEx Ground. Faster delivery can be requested.

• Visit BookWeb's ABA Gift Card page for more information, and send questions to aba@givex.com or call ABA's Jill Perlstein at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6642 or Linda Ford at ext. 6644.

• Use Mary Engelbreit's "A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again" Paper Certificates as a gift certificate or to present a gift card (an ABA Gift Card or your store's own). Cards and envelopes can be ordered via the ABA Merchandise Order Form or by calling (800) 637-0037, ext. 6636. Allow two to five business days for shipping.

Update your IndieCommerce site and Facebook page -- use other 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." If you sell ABA Gift Cards in your store and don't already offer them for sale on your ABA E-Commerce site, contact Scott Nafz at scott@bookweb.org or (800) 637-0037, ext. 6654, to learn how to integrate them.

• 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. Choose a specific format to promote.

• 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 non-book products, office supplies, business services, and more.

And, finally, remember that alongside a unique title selection and an array of non-book product, a well-trained and informed staff is one of your greatest assets. So, be sure to:

• 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.