In this episode of the BookNet Canada podcast, we share valuable tips and strategies for independent booksellers gearing up for the holiday season. From planning business hours and fulfillment options to creating engaging themed promotions and leveraging social media, this episode covers content that will help you increase sales and connect with your community.
(Scroll down for the transcript.)
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Further Reading/Listening
Transcript
Nataly Alarcón: Hello! Welcome to a new episode of the BookNet Canada podcast. I am Nataly Alarcón, BookNet's marketing and events manager. Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s always top of mind this time of year — gearing up for the holiday season.
Whether you’re a seasoned bookseller or preparing for your first holiday rush, we’ll share actionable tips, industry trends, and strategies to help you maximize sales and create a memorable shopping experience for your customers. Let’s get started!
Before we dive into planning, let’s look at some sales data from recent holiday seasons.
Last year, Canadian independent booksellers reporting to SalesData saw an 8% increase in units sold and a 10% increase in value sold during the fourth quarter compared to 2022, despite ongoing challenges like competition from big-box retailers and online giants, as well as the rising cost of living, which can influence buying behaviour.
One contributing factor? Canadians continue to support their local bookstores. According to the Canadian Book Consumer Study 2023, 70% of Canadian book buyers visited a bookstore in person in 2023, up from 64% in 2022. Online engagement was even higher, with 79% of Canadian book buyers visiting a bookstore online, up from 73% the previous year.
For booksellers, this highlights the importance of being visible and accessible wherever your customers prefer to shop — both online and in person.
Now, let’s break it down into three key steps for a successful holiday season: Plan, review, and sell.
Step 1: Plan.
Your plan is your foundation for success. Start small by defining your business hours. Will you extend hours to accommodate after-work shoppers, or will you be focusing on being available at earlier times? Communicate your schedule to customers in advance.
Next, consider your fulfillment options: Will you offer local delivery, in-store pickup, or curbside service? Clear communication is key — ensure your website, social media, and in-store signage prominently display these options. While the pandemic may feel like a thing of the past, many customers still appreciate the convenience and safety of “pandemic-era” practices, so offering these services can set you apart.
Of course, inventory management is crucial. Reflect on what worked well last year. What flew off the shelves? If you’re a SalesData user, generating a Bestseller Report for your store is a great way to identify top performers.
Don’t have access to SalesData? No problem. You can also use tools like Google Trends to spot emerging trends. Simply go to the Books & Literature category and check out the “Related topics” and “Related queries” sections. For example, while preparing for this episode, I noticed top searches like “Joe Pickett books in order,” “Brené Brown books,” and “Bad Guys books.” Filtering by region can help you tailor insights to your local market.
Finally, don’t forget a contingency plan. What happens if a supplier is delayed, your website crashes, or in-store foot traffic drops unexpectedly? Identifying potential pain points ahead of time will help you respond quickly and keep operations running smoothly.
Step 2: Review.
Next up, review your online presence. Is your website up-to-date with holiday hours, promotions, and policies?
Double-check your FAQ section for clarity on shipping, returns, and gift card options. Shoppers want transparency and convenience, so make this information easy to find.
Don’t underestimate the power of Google, especially Google Business. If a customer searches for bookstores near them, your profile should display accurate hours, service options such as same-day delivery, phone number, and a link to your website at a minimum. If you want to go beyond, you can add a short description of your bookstore and share links to your social media accounts.
Step 3: Sell!
Build excitement with themed promotions such as “Taylor Swift-inspired books,” “Cozy Reads for the Winter,” “Canadian Spotlight,” “New Year, New You” — the possibilities are endless! For inspiration, you can crowdsource ideas from your staff or use tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm creative themes tailored to your store. If you’re running special sales or offering curated gift bundles, make sure both your current and potential customers know about them through every available channel.
Time is a precious resource during the holiday rush, but even small efforts can make a big impact. Engage your customers with authentic social media content. A quick video of your staff recommending their favourite holiday reads can resonate far more than polished graphics. If you have a bookstore cat — or even just a fun quirk about your store — lean into it! For example, I remember hearing Penny Warris from Analog Books Inc. in Alberta share a great story during a Tech Forum session about how their bookstore cat, Hugo, became a local celebrity. She said:
“So one of the biggest marketing things we have that was a total fluke is we have a bookstore cat. His name is Hugo. He's definitely the most famous cat in Lethbridge. And everyone comes to visit our cat and buys a book after they visit the cat. But literally, people come in and say, ‘Oh, I'm just here for Hugo." And we're like, "Yeah, we get it.’“
This is a great reminder to be genuine and invite your community to connect with your store, whether they visit in person or online. For example, Hugo is regularly featured on their Instagram, generating lots of engagement with their posts!
Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of preparing your staff. Equip them with the tools to answer customer questions, recommend complementary products, and create a positive shopping experience. But remember, the holidays aren’t always smooth sailing. Stress levels can run high, so take steps to protect both your team and your customers. Keep resources like the Conflict resolution & de-escalation for retailers infographic, created in partnership with the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association (CIBA), easily accessible. You can find a link to this infographic and an accompanying blog post in the episode notes.
We’ve reached the end, if you’re a CIBA member, check out their 2024 Holiday Campaign, as well as the resources available in their member portal. For SalesData questions, please email us at salesdata@booknetcanada.ca. And for quick access to links to the resources mentioned in this episode, please go to the Blog section of the BookNet Canada website, booknetcanada.ca, to find a transcript and a further reading list.
As we wrap up, remember that the holidays are about creating joy. For many, visiting a bookstore, buying, or receiving a book during the holiday season is a cherished tradition. Make your store a welcoming space.
Lastly, don’t forget to celebrate your successes along the way. Whether it’s reaching a sales goal or getting a glowing review from a first-time customer, those moments matter. Be kind to yourself — you’ve got this!
Before I go, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge that BookNet Canada’s operations are remote and our colleagues contribute their work from the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Wyandot, the Mi’kmaq, the Ojibwa of Fort William First Nation, the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations (which includes the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomie), and the Métis, the original nations and peoples of the lands we now call Beeton, Brampton, Guelph, Halifax, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vaughan, and Windsor. We encourage you to visit the native-land.ca website to learn more about the peoples whose land you are listening from today. Moreover, BookNet Canada endorses the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and supports an ongoing shift from gatekeeping to spacemaking in the book industry.
The book industry has long been an industry of gatekeeping. Anyone who works at any stage of the book supply chain carries a responsibility to serve readers by publishing, promoting, and supplying works that represent the wide extent of human experiences and identities in all that complicated intersectionality. We, at BookNet, are committed to working with our partners in the industry as we move towards a framework that supports "spacemaking," which ensures that marginalized creators and professionals all have the opportunity to contribute, work, and lead. We'd also like to acknowledge the Government of Canada for their financial support through the Canada Book Fund. And of course, thanks to you for listening.
Happy bookselling!
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