Godzilla dustballs 5.

I figure some of you are probably getting tired of the whole makeover thing, so this is probably the last post devoted mainly that that subject, at least for awhile.


It's like I've turned on a new Compliment Spigot at the store. It seems like every other person in the door is telling me how interesting my store is. (Hopefully, not in the neutral answer of "How did you like it?" "Interesting....." way.) Or "cool" or "neat."

Weirdly, though, it's mostly newcomers and off-the-street browsers who are saying it; as if they can tell something has been improved, even if they don't know what. They often say it having just walked in the door.

Customers are psychic, I tell you.

Regulars are just sort of oblivious to it, until I call their attention to the changes.

So lot's of compliments; but not a lot of buying. As I always say, a compliment is just another way for the customer to think they're paying you -- but a compliment and .50 won't get you a cup of coffee anymore.

"Oh, my god." I'm thinking. "What if I've made my store attractive to people who aren't interested in what I actually sell?"

Like a cat making itself really attractive to a dog. Or something.

I'm kidding......I think.


I finished stocking the new bookcases, yesterday. I was able to get some of my old thematic shelves back together; my Pirates shelf, my Dragons shelf, my Robots. (Find me another bookstore that has Zombies and Vampires and Pirates, etc. on their own shelves....)

One entire bookcase has the Fairy stuff -- which looks nice.

It turned into more display space than I thought. Every art book shelf now has at least one book facing out, and many of them have two. As well as books laying flat in front of them.

If anything, it may be a little too much. I have to admit to myself that simply doubling the number of art books that customers can actually see may not actually increase overall sales. Afterall, I had nearly 50 art books face out before, and if a customer couldn't find something they liked in that, I have no real belief they'll find something with 100 books face out.

Anyway, it looks great for now. We can give them a chance to prove themselves, and meanwhile it adds to the overall appeal of the store.

I suspect that about half that space will be taken back, eventually, for one simple reason: I happen to know that I have several hundred "classic" and "cult" books that I'm pretty sure will sell -- because they have sold before, or because they are of the same type as the books that sold before. These are my "Evergreens" when it comes to novels, and I just need to get back on task in ordering them.

One of the nice things about books, is that I don't necessarily always have to reorder, as long as I keep a good selection in stock. On the other hand, I'm probably depriving myself of sure sales when I don't immediately reorder Catch-22, or Desert Solitaire, or Sometimes a Great Notion.

So, now that I'm done, and now that I have the shelf space, I need to get back to keeping up, and keeping a lookout for other "great" books.

By plan and design, my new budget is now available to order, so I'll be restocking the store over the next couple of months. Which is always fun.