A Holiday Preparations Checklist

Here is BTW’s annual holiday preparations checklist, offering reminders that we hope will help smooth day-to-day operations at your store during the upcoming season.

Take advantage of a range of special offers from a variety of publishers in support of Indies First

• Review the robust list of Indies First publisher specials to find favorite hand-sells, bestsellers, and classic reads and place orders for Indies First on Small Business Saturday (November 24) and the winter holidays.
• Start promoting “Indie Bookstores Give Back on Small Business Saturday” (#IndiesGiveBack), in which ABA and American Express are working with Simon & Schuster to make 20,000 special-edition copies of author Jason Reynolds’ Ghost (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) available to young readers in underserved communities.
• Make use of Indies First and Small Business Saturday marketing materials. 

Spruce up the store and increase merchandising efforts

• When stocking the shelves, take advantage of publishers’ rapid replenishment programs available through the holiday season and, in some cases, beyond. Publishers that have announced such programs include Macmillan, HarperCollins, and Sourcebooks. In addition, Ingram and Baker & Taylor are offering discounts and deals for Indies First. 
• Make the most of the holiday designs in BookWeb’s Marketing Assets.
• Ensure that frontline booksellers are familiar with titles that have strong store support.
• Publicize your holiday hours well in advance and promote your ability to meet customers’ needs 24/7 via your store website. Include your web address on store signage and handouts, in e-newsletters and social media, in your telephone message, and on transaction receipts.
• Make sure your after-hours telephone message is up to date and clearly states your store hours, web address, and whether the caller can leave a message.
• Re-evaluate your store’s general appearance. Update and replace worn shelf-talkers, freshen window displays, create festive in-store displays, and decorate to convey the holiday spirit.
• Pre-wrap bestselling titles and place a sticker on the outside with the title, ISBN, and price. Leave an unwrapped copy of the title at the top of the pile with a sign that says, “Wrapped and ready to go!”
• Enlist volunteers to handle free holiday gift wrapping. It will save on staff time and will engender goodwill if you allow community or school groups to take donations. Also consider collecting donations for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc), which has provided assistance for numerous booksellers this year following Hurricanes Florence and Michael.
• Make the most of your regional holiday catalog and the ABC Best Books for Young Readers catalog by displaying them prominently in-store, distributing them at store and community-wide events, inserting them into local newspapers, providing them to local groups whose members you want to reach, and adding a digital version of the ABC catalog to your website.
• Spur gift card sales by placing display cards throughout the store.
• Place related non-book items next to books to increase impulse buys.
• Prominently post your return and exchange policies.
• Check your store profile on Yelp, Google, and social media listings to make sure the information on your business and its services is complete and up to date.
• Keep abreast of community holiday celebrations, such as tree lightings and holiday fairs, and coordinate marketing efforts and staffing accordingly.

Promote upcoming events in holiday inserts in local newspapers and create special shopping opportunities for loyal customers

• Consider a customer appreciation night featuring holiday gift recommendations, refreshments, raffles, and prizes.
• Promote your store as a venue for private, after-hours shopping parties to customers who are interested in inviting family and friends.
• Hold a holiday pop-up shop in conjunction with other local merchants or organizations to reach new audiences.

Update your website, blog, and social media pages and use them to promote holiday offerings, special events, and your ability to sell e-books and audiobooks

• On your IndieCommerce site be sure to:
  • Update store hours if they change for the holiday season.
  • Reinforce your store’s brand by featuring online content that complements in-store displays.
  • Add festive/holiday-related graphics and banners to your website.
  • Consider offering free or reduced shipping as well as coupons for the holiday season.
  • Post your shipping policy, along with a delivery schedule: For example, “Usually Ships in 1–5 Days,” “On Our Shelves Now,” or “Order by [fill in the date] for Delivery by December 25.” Whatever language you choose, make sure customers know that books ordered after a certain date may not arrive in time for the holiday. And remember to check your orders page frequently for new orders.
  • Create a block to promote gift cards and gift certificates and set it to appear on your front page.
  • Advertise your site’s “wishlist” feature, which customers can use to share gift ideas with their family and friends.
  • Promote sales of e-books and audiobooks by curating content on your site; use one of your IndieCommerce Drupal content areas to create a selection of five to 10 titles that would have special appeal to your customers.
  • Add any key non-book inventory to your website.
  • Familiarize yourself with the website and prepare for questions by going through the online checkout process as a customer.
• Sign up for Libro.fm’s Indie Partner Program, which allows ABA member stores to sell audiobooks through integration with IndieCommerce websites. IndieCommerce now also offers integration with Hummingbird for e-books as well. Questions about signing up for either service can be directed to [email protected].
• Be sure your website URL appears on store signage, cash register receipts, bags, bookmarks, printed and/or electronic newsletters, gift cards and gift certificates, store letterhead, business cards, and in all staff e-mail signatures.
• Plan a schedule of e-newsletters featuring great book and non-book gift suggestions.

Be mindful of vendors’ holiday schedules

• Check UPS/FedEx/USPS holiday delivery schedules and review PartnerShip’s tips for taking the stress out of holiday shipping.
• Ensure the appropriate staff members are aware of changes to publisher and wholesaler/distributor fulfillment schedules.

Display Indie Bestseller Lists and Indie Next List fliers and shelf-talkers

• Assign a staff member to be on the lookout for the Red and White Boxes during these busy months, so the arrival of the latest Indie Next List fliers, other promotional materials, and last-minute special offers from ABA Publisher Partners don’t get lost among stock deliveries.
• Download fliers and shelf-talkers featuring each month’s Indie Next Great Reads and Now in Paperback titles, which are available in an easily printable 8½” x 11” format on BookWeb.org. (These are great as extra bag-stuffers and for in-store displays.)
• Assign a staff member to print out the national and/or regional Indie Bestseller Lists each Wednesday and replace the previous week’s lists.
• Display Indie Bestseller Specialty Lists in appropriate sections of your store.

Stock up on gift cards, gift certificates, and presenters

• Make sure you have enough gift cards and/or gift certificates to meet holiday demand. Contact your supplier and reorder now as production times before the holidays may be lengthy.
• Use ABA’s online order form to purchase “Books: The Perfect Gift” and “A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again” paper gift certificates.
• Go to BookWeb to download gift certificate designs featuring artwork from A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston (Candlewick).

Check your inventory of business and office supplies

• IndieBound natural Kraft recycled bags, with or without store customization; popular “Peace. Love. Books.” reusable bags; and specialized giftwrap for bookstores are available from W.G. Ellerkamp, Inc.
• AAA Label is a source for stickers with promotional messages such as “Local Author” and “Autographed Copy.” When placing an order, be sure to mention that you are an ABA member.
• Check other supplies, including acrylic holders for fliers and shelf-talkers, register tape, terminal paper, etc.

Remember to take care of your staff

• Discuss expectations, especially relating to customer service, as well as potential scheduling conflicts and requests for time off.
• Cross-train employees to handle a number of different tasks so a staff member is always ready to fill in wherever necessary.
• Review your store’s refund policy and ensure staff are aware of any changes.
• Make sure the schedule allows for all staff members to take their breaks, lunches, etc.
• Plan small perks, such as food and drinks, for the busy days ahead to keep staff energized and happy. A non-greasy hand cream — especially for those who are doing a lot of gift wrapping — and hand sanitizer, along with lots of bottled water and chocolate, will be much appreciated.