Accidental Bookseller Succeeds for 22 years on Purpose

In 1980, Steven Morado Stout, now owner of New Mexico's largest independent bookstore, had a doctoral degree in anthropology and years of related work experience when the poor employment situation in Albuquerque left him jobless. Not wanting to leave the city, he needed to open his own business and create a job for himself. He considered an auto paint shop or a bar and restaurant, he told BTW. "Those ideas didn't pan out, but in 1981 an incredibly cheap newsstand came on the market, and I thought, 'This looks good.' Besides, it was the only thing I could afford."

The Page One Information Desk.

The business Stout stumbled into is now the 37,000-square-foot Page One Bookstore and the 12,000-square-foot Page One Too! In the original 2,000-square-foot space, he sold magazines, newspapers, and a few books. "1981 was the year of electronic newspapers," Stout said, "I was convinced that everything was going electronic, and I had purchased an obsolete business."

Thinking that joining the electronic revolution was a prime means of survival, Stout added computer software and related books, including much futuristic fiction, to the mix at Page One in 1982. A year later, he sensed that digital music recording was to become the standard. Drawn to the acoustic, new age music of Windham Hill, he began stocking CDs on the small label. With his marketing foresight, he was able to double the store's size and greatly increase the book inventory in 1984, when the adjacent store became vacant.

Another vacancy in the Eldorado Shopping Center in 1986 enabled the store to move to a 12,000-square-foot space. That transition kept the peripatetic Stout busy

Page One Cafe.

until 1993, when, in the space of 24 hours, Page One moved into its current location across the street and gained a café, while Page One Too!, specializing in used and rare books, inherited the former space.

Page One offers full electronic commerce through its Web site (www.page1book.com) and other affiliate sites. Stout told BTW, "We do about $600,000 a year of business through the Internet. We've been at it longer than any independent other than Powell's. I'm very excited about starting with BookSense.com. That may be the savior of us all. There are many possibilities. We're working on integrating all of our data."

Over the years Stout has discontinued the music and software categories for more of a focus on books. "We've seen 35 independents [bookstores] closed here -- now there is no children's bookstore in Albuquerque. We are working on a business alliance with other independents. There are now five businesses, including a shoe store, a nursery with multiple locations, and an attorney. We have formed the nucleus of the Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance. We are growing and will be opening up to new members. Through the Unchain Albuquerque campaign, we are trying to let people know about the economic advantages of spending their money locally. The city shouldn't be spending our tax money to subsidize the national chains."

Stout now fears the Walmart-ization of bookselling. "I'd like all books to be sold in bookstores, but these stores are selling books and software for less than I pay to the publishers and distributors. I get mad about it, and we're moving more toward selling used books."

The rare book room.

In addition, the competitive climate has changed, as Border's has moved into the neighborhood this month. Maintaining sales required some creative marketing, Stout said, so, for the store's 22nd anniversary, Page One offered a 22 percent discount on everything for each weekend in July. All books, including those already discounted, are included. That, along with the champagne served, has kept customers in the store and contributed to an increase in sales over last July.

Stout concluded, "Page One is now more of an old-fashioned bookstore. We have always had the reputation of having books you can't find in other stores. I take pride in representing all viewpoints and expressions of literary art. Now, by including used and out-of-print books next to new books, I hear more customers saying -- not only can they find what they want at Page One, but they find things they didn't even know they were looking for." -- Nomi Schwartz