ABACUS

The weeks are dwindling down for ABA member booksellers who want to participate in this year's ABACUS, the survey of independent bookstore operations for fiscal year 2006. Only 27 days remain to complete the easy-to-use online survey form. Booksellers who submit their 2006 financial data by August 15 will receive a personalized report that can help improve a bookstore's operations and bottom line, as well as $50 off their ABA dues.

Fewer than five weeks remain for ABA member booksellers to participate in ABACUS 2007, the survey of independent bookstore operations for fiscal year 2006. The deadline for completing the easy-to-use online survey form is Wednesday, August 15.

Only six weeks remain till the August 15 deadline for ABA member bookstores to join the 2007 ABACUS study.

ABA member booksellers who have questions about participating in the 2007 ABACUS survey, and those who would like help completing the online form, can still set up appointments to meet with David Walker at this year's BookExpo America. Walker will be available from Friday, June 1, through Sunday, June 3, in ABA's Book Sense Lounge, Room 1E07 - 1E08 of the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

Members of the American Booksellers Association who submit financial data to the 2007 ABACUS survey before BookExpo America will have an opportunity to discuss their store's numbers at the trade show with ABA's David Walker.

The American Booksellers Association is now collecting data from member booksellers for the 2007 ABACUS survey through an enhanced web form.

The nearly 300 ABA member bookstores that participated in the 2006 ABACUS financial survey will begin receiving their individual store reports at the end of October. The reports will be sent via e-mail to the address that was supplied when the store submitted financial data through the ABACUS survey form.

Booksellers wishing to participate in this year's ABACUS survey are reminded that the deadline for submitting data is midnight on Tuesday, August 15. Every bookstore submitting data by the deadline will receive a customized report on their financial performance, as well as a $50 rebate check off their ABA membership dues.

The American Booksellers Association is reminding booksellers who have not yet submitted their store's financial data to this year's ABACUS survey to take advantage of the deadline extension to August 15 and to participate now.

The deadline for ABA member booksellers to submit data for this year's ABACUS survey has been extended by two weeks, from July 31 to August 15. In addition to receiving a wealth of financial information, stores that participate in the ABACUS survey will receive a $50 rebate off of their ABA membership dues. Rebate checks will be sent to all participating stores in September.

So I'm puzzled ...

I read the article in [last] week's Bookselling This Week about the lack of participation in ABACUS. Only 150 stores in the entire country have sent in numbers to ABA for this year's survey.

I am puzzled because ABA is working on our behalf, spending countless dollars for one purpose: To make our stores more profitable. Why is there not a 100 percent participatory rate in this survey? Is everyone making enough money?

With the July 31 deadline for submitting data to the 2006 ABACUS Survey rapidly approaching, David Walker, ABA's director of special projects, expressed concern about the future of the study, which provides independent booksellers with customized reports on their store's financial performance.

In addition to receiving a wealth of financial information, ABA bookstore members that complete the 2006 ABACUS survey by July 31, 2006, will receive $50 off their next ABA dues renewal.