ABACUS

ABACUS not only helps me run my business better — I share it with my bookkeeper, landlord, and staff — but it also allows ABA to illustrate to our industry partners the economic realities of indie bookstore operations, and helps everyone work on how to reduce our costs and sell more books all around.
— Jamie Fiocco, ABA President, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Eight years ago when I was looking into buying my store, ABACUS was an essential tool in my decision-making. I was able to compare the store's numbers to the industry averages. Having this information gave me the confidence I needed to take this literal life-changing step of becoming a bookstore owner. Since then, I continue to turn to ABACUS every year (and often throughout the year) to provide myself with a clear snapshot of my store's financial position, especially as it relates to other successful bookstores. The time invested in filling out the ABACUS survey is worth every second — and it's really not that hard! It is time well-spent both for your own store as well as helping other stores to evaluate their positions. Do it in the spirit of collegiality!
— Susan Hans O'Connor, Owner, Penguin Bookshop, Sewickley, Pennsylvania

I've been completing the ABACUS survey and using the results every year since I bought Red Balloon in 2011. It is such an important planning tool for me, and now that the results are coming back earlier, it is even more helpful. These numbers give me more perspective on how our bookstore is doing and helps our bookstore set financial goals for the coming year. Thank you, ABA, for doing this survey every year!
— Holly Weinkauf, the Red Balloon

Completing the ABACUS reporting is one of those rare tasks that pays off over and over again. The reporting is robust and flexible. I find myself looking at different aspects of the business throughout the year, and I use ABACUS to see how we compare to our peers and to help my leadership team understand what we need to improve upon.
— Melissa DeMotte, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from ABACUS. It allows us to look at financial and operational benchmarks set by our colleagues around the country, look at our own performance, and ask, ‘Why is this different?’ I can say with confidence that we’re a much healthier store today than we would be without ABACUS.
— Andy Perham, Books Inc., San Francisco, California

We have found the data from ABACUS to be very helpful in planning and budgeting for the upcoming year. Importantly, it can give us some insight into areas we should investigate for further growth or cost savings. Submitting to the survey has gotten easier over the years -- I think this might have been the easiest one yet.
— Jenny Cohen and Muir Cohen, Waucoma Bookstore, Hood River, Oregon