Holiday Preparations: A List of Helpful Reminders

October 30, 2007

Thanksgiving and the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season are just three weeks away. To make booksellers' lives a bit easier as they prepare to meet increased consumer demands, Bookselling This Week presents a helpful list of deadlines, supply resources, and marketing suggestions.

Save time and money, and avoid frustration, by checking your stock now for titles and non-book products that you'll need for this holiday season. Order early to avoid last-minute rush charges or worse -- the chance of not getting what you need.

• Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 22
• Hanukkah (first night) is Tuesday, December 4
• Christmas Eve is Monday, December 24
• Kwanzaa is Wednesday, December 26

• The Booksellers Resource Directory is a listing of suppliers of non-book products, office supplies, business services, and more.

• Atlas Paper Company, offering discounts on merchandise bags, wrapping paper, and ribbons, is the supplier of Book Sense branded paper and plastic bags.

• 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.

• For Book Sense Bestsellers stickers, use the ABA/Book Sense Merchandise Order Form or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 6636. To receive stickers in time for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, orders must be placed by noon Eastern Time on Monday, November 12. To receive in time for Christmas, orders must be placed by noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, December 12.

The classic card featuring Mary Engelbreit's "A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again" can now be used as a store's paper gift certificate or to present a gift card (a Book Sense Gift Card or your store's own). Cards and envelopes can be ordered via the ABA/Book Sense Merchandise Order Form or or by calling (800) 637-0037, ext. 6636. To receive certificates in time for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, orders must be placed by noon Eastern Time on Monday, November 12. To receive in time for Christmas, orders must be placed by noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, December 12.

Reorder generic and imprinted cards and presenters from the Book Sense Gift Card program via the reorder site.

• Booksellers already in the gift card program are reminded that the fee for reusing (incrementing) cards has been reduced from 30 cents to 25 cents per use as of October 1.  If you need additional presenters or need new generic or imprinted cards, use booksenseorders.givex.com to place your order. The fulfillment house is now in Illinois, which means cards and presenters are delivered faster. Orders for generic cards placed by 3:00 p.m. Central Time will ship the same day. If your logo 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 and all costs are passed through. The default is FedEx Ground one to five business days to most addresses.

• Booksellers can choose from 11 standard designs, including the new Mary Engelbreit design "A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again."
  

• For a limited time, booksellers can order a special gift card sponsored by Scholastic that captures the beauty of Camden Falls, the setting of Ann M. Martin's Main Street series. And, watch BTW for news of a teacher appreciation card sponsored by Penguin featuring art from Eats, Shoots & Leaves, available next month.
  

• Stores wishing to join the Book Sense Gift Card program in time for the holiday season are encouraged to complete and fax the Letter of Agreement and Order Form no later than November 9 to allow time for setup and staff training. Although publisher-sponsored cards are not listed on the order form, they are available to new sign-ups while supplies last. For more information about the program, visit the Gift Card page on BookWeb.org. Questions about the program should be addressed to Jill Perlstein at jill@booksense.com or (800) 637-0037, ext. 6642 or Linda Ford at lindaf@bookweb.org or ext. 6644.

• Assign a staff member to be on the lookout for the Book Sense Red and White Boxes during these busy months, so the arrival of the latest Book Sense Picks lists, other promotional materials, and last-minute special offers from Book Sense Publisher Partners don't get lost among stock deliveries. Watch for your initial quantity of 2007 Picks Highlights fliers in the Winter Children's White Box mailing scheduled to land in stores around Thanksgiving. These fliers are a great way to remind customers of some of the "Best of the Best" of 2007. They also provide a wide range of titles that are perfect for gift giving. To order additional Book Sense materials, refer to the ABA/Book Sense Merchandise Order Form or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 6636. To receive materials in time for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, orders must be placed by noon Eastern Time on Monday, November 12. To receive in time for Christmas, orders must be placed by noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, December 12.

• Assign a staff member to print out the Book Sense Bestseller lists each Thursday and replace the previous week's lists. Save a space on your walls for the Book Sense Year-End Bestseller List, coming in BTW in December.

• Display Book Sense category lists in appropriate sections of your store.

• Talk to staff about potential scheduling conflicts.

• Train staff so that they can handle long lines, returns, exchanges, technology failures, emergencies, etc. Also prominently post your returns and exchange policies.

• Check office supplies such as, pens, note pads, tape, scissors, acrylic holders for brochures, register tape, terminal paper, light bulbs, etc.

• Print out the latest Book Sense directories for staff reference: Choose one or more states or print the entire list of approximately 1,200 current stores with Book Sense; choose one or more states or print the entire list of approximately 380 current locations of stores that sell and accept Book Sense Gift Cards. Printable directories are available.

• Create signs for windows and/or doors that list your store hours and website address. Promote special holiday hours well in advance.

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

• Update and replace worn shelf-talkers. (ABA's trade website, BookWeb.org, offers two new shelf-talkers and links to other downloadable marketing materials.)

• Decorate to create a festive atmosphere that will inspire customers to make holiday purchases. Change as appropriate.

• 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!"

• Since Book Sense Gift Cards are not valid until activated by an authorized bookseller, you can place gift cards in locations throughout the store to increase awareness and sales.

• Place complementary non-book items next to titles to increase impulse buys. For example, if your store sells candles, place some in the cookbook or decorating section. If your store sells blank journals, place a few in the travel section. Place small products such as bookmarks or novelty items near the cash register to draw the attention of customers who are waiting to pay.

• 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.

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