How to Make it Big with a Used Book Store

Operating a used book store is a lot like owning a recycling center - not too glamorous until you take a look at the owner's bank account.

This is an ideal "absentee-owner" type of business, or a small investment type business for someone to start while holding down a regular, full time job. The type of person "best-suited" to running a successful used book store is a man or woman who loves to read, has collected books over the years and enjoys associating with people of similar interests.

Start-up risks average high, with the average time period needed to become firmly established, about 3 years. After that "becoming established" stage however, you should be able to enjoy ownership of a business without extreme market fluctuations, plus an income close to $50,000 per year or more.

Ideally, a used book store will need a market population of at least 50,000 persons to support it. Try to locate your store in a "high traffic" area, as near as possible to a college or university campus. Something to bear in mind is the shopping habits of the average used book buyer: First, he is a browser. He notices your shop, drops in and begins looking around to see what kind of books you have available. If he spots something that really interests him, he'll probably buy then and there. If not, and provided you've made him feel comfortable this first time in your store, he'll be back-dropping in to browse whenever he's in the area.

Shopping Malls are excellent locations for book stores. Locations near other or "new" books stores are also very good if the buyer doesn't find what he wants in the "other" book stores, he'll check your store. Grocery store shopping centers are generally poor locations for book stores of any kind.

It's important that there be a lot of casual strollers in your location area, and that you encourage these people to drop in, and browse around.

If you want the entire front of your store to be a show window...take pains to arrange your window display in an uncluttered manner, showing the kinds of books you have. However, a window display is not really necessary...more important is a window for the passers-by to see into your store...At any rate, if you do go with a window display, keep it low-never more than 36 inches high leaving a lot of room for the people passing to see in your store, and notice the people browsing thru your books. We know of one successful operator who had members of his family, relatives and friends, purposely "browsing" thru his store, just to project that kind of image for the store.

Once you have your store location selected, paint the entire interior in a dark, warm color, such as mahogany. Install a lighter shade of indoor/outdoor carpet throughout. The lighting should be indirect, and somewhat subdued to give the store a warm feeling.

Locate your checkout counter parallel to one of the side walls...You don't want it blocking or guarding the easy entry or exit from your store. You want your customers to feel comfortable just visiting your store. In other words, do everything you can to encourage the browser, because it's proven time and time gain that the browsers are the book buyers. Allow the people to come and do generally as they please; to pick up thumb thru the books that interest them; to read them and "fall in love" with them.

These will be your real book buyers.

Your book shelves should run along each side wall, and across the back of the store. Don't build them more than six feet high.

Partition these shelves into sections about four feet wide, and at the top of each section, place a sign indicating the general subject matter of the books to be found in that section.

Paper the walls of your store, from the top of your book shelves to the ceiling with colorful and descriptive travel posters, Broadway show billboards, concert posters and full color dust jackets from books that are perennially popular.

The next thing is to build or buy half shelves, tables and revolving racks for other or more books. The half shelves about 4 feet wide by 4 feet high and similar to book cases in your home should be located at right angles to your wall shelves, and in the rear of your store. The tables should be about 3 feet wide by 4 feet long, and about 30 inches high. These also should be located at right angles to your wall shelves, but closer to the front of your store. A revolving wire rack, to hold currently popular or specially featured books, and located at the front of your store, will be a special extra merchandising effort that'll really pay off in sales of your books.

In locating your half shelves and tables down the middle of your store, stagger them one 3 feet from the wall shelves, the next one 6 feet out, then 4 feet and so on. This will allow people to be "seen" in your store; cut down on the appearance of a formal or military layout, and project a more casual atmosphere for browsing and this is precisely what you want. This kind of arrangement will cost you some space, but it will be worth it with increased traffic.

Another merchandising idea that works very well is a couple of revolving wire racks on wheels...These you push outside and position near the entrance to your store. You can feature popular paperbacks, and a few oversize hard cover books with bright, flashy colors in these racks.

Your store hours should match those of your neighbors...In fact, you cold "jump off to a quick start," by opening a half hour earlier than your neighbors. Use his opening half hour to take care of paperwork, and get yourself organized for the day. When the early shoppers see you're open early, they'll begin coming into your store to "browse and kill time" while they wait for the other stores to open.

If you cannot be there to "open the store" then hire part time help. The best arrangement is house wives or college students in 4 hour shifts at the minimum wage.

First off, write out a list of duties you want each clerk to perform while he's on shift. In addition to taking care of sales transactions, you might want him to do some stocking, dusting, cleaning, sorting and pricing. Regardless, you'll have fewer problems and enjoy bigger profits if you formally write these "shift duties" out, and post them as job requirements, and explain them when you interview for hired help.

Look for, and try to hire only book lovers who are personable, outgoing, and have some sort of business aptitude. You the train these people in all phases of your operation, with the thought in mind that they will run the store in your absence, and eventually be your store manager. The best way to find such people is by talking with your customers, observing which might be willing to work for you, and which of them might best fulfill your needs.

You'll need a outside sign for your store preferably one that hangs right angles to the flow of traffic in front of your store.