Industry News

As a partner in Civic Economics, Dan Houston is emerging as a leading proponent of progressive economic development. The firm, which he founded with Matt Cunningham, provides "businesses, communities, and civic organizations with creative tools to achieve sustainable prosperity."

October bookstore sales continued the downward slide that began in the spring. Sales have now been lower than last year's for seven straight months. October 2004 bookstore sales of $1,056 million were 4.8 percent below the $1,109 million recorded in October 2003.

Overall retail sales continue to outperform bookstore sales. Overall retail sales of $338 billion for October 2004 were 6.3 percent better than the $318 billion reported in October 2003.

The encouraging number of new independent bookstores increased by three this past week with the openings of stores by two veteran booksellers and one newcomer to the industry.

Arundel Books at Seattle's Alexis Hotel.

Arundel Books, which includes a store in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, just moved the Seattle locatio

On Monday, December 6, National Public Radio's Morning Edition once again helped listeners find the answers to gift-giving in the recommendations of three veteran independent booksellers. "Winter Picks: Hidden Gems From Indie Bookstores" is the latest segment hosted by NPR's Susan Stamberg, who over the last few years has featured independent booksellers' recommendations for holiday gift-giving and, for the summer, the perfect beach reads.

Over the last few months, the American Booksellers Association has reorganized the responsibilities of some of its key staff to better meet the needs of its members. Among the changes, ABA has designated BookSense.com Director Len Vlahos to spearhead an effort to evaluate and reinvigorate the association's educational offerings, in addition to his other responsibilities. Working with Vlahos on the project is Kristen Gilligan, who was recently named associate director of programming and constituent groups liaison.

When Brian Sweet of Trail's End Bookstore in Winthrop, Washington, wanted to refresh his store's offering of greeting cards, he took his quest for new suppliers to the newly redesigned Idea Exchange on the ABA Web site, www.BookWeb.org.

Battle May Be Looming for California Board of Equalization

With Carole Migden (D - San Francisco) leaving her post on the California Board of Equalization (BOE) this past Monday to be sworn in as a state senator, a battle appears to be looming regarding her successor on the Board, as reported by The Sacramento Bee.

In November, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the George H. Baum Community Charitable Trust of Morris, Illinois, in cooperation with the National Retail Federation (NRF), produced a free white paper to help independent businesses remain competitive now and in the future. The new resource, "Challenges of the Future: The Rebirth of Small Independent Retail in America," is a comprehensive look at the marketplace for small independents, the obstacles they might face moving forward, and, more importantly, how best to meet these challenges.

This week, Book Sense and POS vendor Booklog announced that users of Booklog, Version 6, could begin selling and redeeming Book Sense gift cards directly from the cash register. Booklog is the third POS vendor to integrate with the Book Sense Gift Card Program, which is administered by Givex. Computac/Square One users processing credit cards though PCCharge have had integration since November 2003. And this past November, IBID, Version 14 began offering booksellers the option of processing Book Sense gift cards through an enhanced, optional feature.

Although media reports indicate that holiday shoppers were out in force during what the National Retail Federation termed a "blockbuster" Thanksgiving weekend, sales reports from independent booksellers around the country ran the gamut. If there was consensus about anything among independent booksellers in BTW's informal survey, it was a wait-and-see attitude, with many expressing cautious optimism.

McNally Robinson Booksellers, a 7,000-square-foot bookstore with a cafe, will officially open tomorrow on Prince Street in New York City. The store's owner is Sarah McNally, whose family owns four McNally Robinsons in Canada, two in Winnipeg, one in Saskatoon, and one in Calgary. The Manhattan store is not part of the Canadian McNally Robinson stores, but McNally's family has invested in her venture and owns 20 percent of the business.

On November 19, in a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), after commending Congress for extending the moratorium on Internet access taxes for the next four years, called on Congress and President Bush to refocus their energies on his Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Act (SSUTA, S.1736). Enzi and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduced the bill, which would ensure that the tax system is fair to Main Street businesses, in October 2003.