Wi4 Store Merchandising Tours, Roundtables Require Sign-Up

Among the unique programs at the American Booksellers Association's upcoming Winter Institute will be the opportunity for booksellers to take a merchandising tour of either Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore (for large-store tactics) or The King's English Bookshop (for small to mid-size stores). Aimed at bookstore owners and managers, as well as prospective booksellers, the tours, led by a merchandising professional, will focus on best practices.

The King's English merchandising tour will be held on Friday, January 30, from 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.; the tour of Sam Weller's is Saturday, January 31, from 11:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Space on the tours is limited, so ABA is asking interested Wi4 registrants to send an e-mail to [email protected] with "Store Tour" in the subject line. The e-mail should indicate the bookseller's name, the store name, and the preferred tour. Tours will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wi4 will also feature a roundtable discussion specifically for owners and managers of small to mid-size stores on Friday afternoon, from 4: 45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., and another for large stores on Saturday afternoon, from 3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.; both will be moderated by veteran booksellers.

Wi4 registrants who are interested in participating in a roundtable discussion should send an e-mail, including their name and store name, to ABA Chief Program Officer Len Vlahos ([email protected]) with either "Small/Mid-Size-Store Roundtable" or "Large-Store Roundtable" in the subject line.

Watch for more details on the Merchandising Tours and the Roundtables in upcoming editions of Bookselling This Week.

The complete Wi4 program schedule and the event registration form are available on BookWeb.org. Reservations for rooms at Wi4's host hotel, the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown, are via the hotel's special Wi4 reservations web page.