Subterranean Books Remains Open

Last year, sales were down for Subterranean Books, in St. Louis, Missouri. At the rate it was going, owner Kelly Von Plonski did not think she'd be able to sustain the store. In January, she sent out an e-mail to her customers reporting that the store was in trouble and asking for their support. Since then the store has seen a boost in sales, and Von Plonski announced that the Subterranean Books will remain open.

The barometer that Von Plonski used to decide whether or not to close was that sales from January to June had to at least equal last year's sales from the same period. Though sales exceeded last year's sales, Von Plonski remains vigilant in implementing new ways to improve business. “I'm not completely confident we're out of the woods,” she said. “But we're doing much better.” She is considering a new location, with a more affordable rent.

In her original e-mail, Von Plonski asked customers to fill out a survey in order to give some insight into what was the store doing right and wrong. As a direct result of the survey, the store introduced four new in-store programs.

The Emerging Writers' Night, where anyone can come and read their work, is a way for local writers to get to know each other, said Von Plonski. BYOB (Bring your own Book and Beer), is “kind of like a story time for adults,” she said, where customers are encouraged to bring a book that means something to them. The Whirling Gypsy Comicarouselesque Revue & Burlesque is a three-dimensional graphic novel event, where St. Louis graphic novelists act out their work, as it is projected on a screen. Lastly, the store now hosts several writing workshops led by well-known local writers and poets.

These programs have helped the store become more connected to the community, which, due to the store's small staff, is “something I always thought we were lacking,” said Von Plonski.

Von Plonski also believes that the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance (SLIBA), which formed in mid-February, is partly responsible for the increase in business (read full story here). Three of the area's indies – Left Bank Books, Pudd'nhead Books, and Main Street Books – joined Subterranean Books upon hearing the news that Von Plonski's store was struggling.

“They e-mailed me and said, 'We should do something about this, and why not do it together?'”

SLIBA aims to provide the city's readers with news, events, advocacy, and of course, books, all while promoting local spending.

The mission of SLIBA, as stated on the alliance's website, is “to provide St. Louis with a wide variety of independent bookstores, each specializing in their own passion for books, staffed by expert booksellers and stocked with the most amazing books; to support the creative and literary efforts in our city; to share our love of knowledge and storytelling; to not only keep up with the times, but to stay ahead of the curve so that our customers get the best service, the best events, and books that fill their souls.”

Von Plonski said the alliance has given the store exposure, which in turn helped raise awareness.

“I have to believe [the alliance] has to have something to do with it,” she said. “The alliance has gotten huge, vocal support. Customers come in and mention it, and it's the same customers that buy from us.

“Hopefully we're getting the 'Shop Indie' message out, and turning it to dollars spent in stores,” she said.