Baker & Taylor Launches Indie Next Promotion in a Box

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Bookstores can now sign up for the Indie Next Promotion in a Box, a program from Baker & Taylor that provides an additional discount on Indie Next List titles and a free marketing kit designed for booksellers to easily promote the latest monthly titles.

“The Indie Next List has long been an effective program for highlighting the pick of the crop,” said Richard Smith, vice president of retail and higher education sales at Baker & Taylor. “We wanted to create a promotion that would make it easy and rewarding to set up an instant Indie Next display at front of store.”

The Indie Next Promotion in a Box gives bookstores an additional discount on the featured titles as well as a monthly e-mail reminder with a link for easy ordering. The marketing kit includes book jacket stickers, custom shelf-talkers with title information and bookseller quotes, and Indie Next List fliers.

The pilot test of the program saw participating bookstore sales of Indie Next List titles increase, with some sell-through rates jumping by 140 percent, and booksellers participating in the trial praised the program. “I can’t say enough nice things about this program. It drove sales in our store, and was a great monthly promotion,” said Rob Dougherty of Clinton Book Shop in Clinton, New Jersey.

“Participating pilot stores enjoyed a significant increase in sales,” said Smith. “Overall test results exceeded our expectations substantially, so we are thrilled to be bringing this to market nationally. Extra discount, free marketing materials, increased sell-through — we think this will have broad appeal and make a real impact.”

Participating stores will use the marketing materials to display the Indie Next List titles each month for a minimum six-month participation period, and stores will place a monthly order of 20 assorted units from the current list.

Orders can be easily submitted through the standard B&T ordering system. The marketing kit will be shipped separately to the store before the beginning of the promotion month, and books will arrive with regular B&T shipments. Books purchased through B&T are returnable within normal parameters.

To sign up or to get more information, stores should contact their Baker & Taylor sales representative or e-mail [email protected].