Creativity on Display at BookPeople

Display creation is a way of life for most booksellers: holiday and seasonal displays, special event promotions, monthly Book Sense displays, and more can all add to a bookstore's bottom line. At Austin, Texas' BookPeople, display creation is very serious business, and not something left to chance.

BookPeople owner Steve Bercu told BTW that for some time now store staff has been drawing up annual display schedules in January. The schedule notes when the seasonal displays will go up, and then each month staff-members plot out other themed displays. The store has several different display areas and to keep it all under control Bercu employs a merchandising person.

"The crucial thing is putting it all down in a schedule, so we don't seem surprised it's Mother's Day," Bercu said. He added that the merchandiser works with both the book and gift buyers, so that everyone knows what will be displayed and can then purchase accordingly.

More importantly, the displays are visually enticing and attract shoppers. The displays catch the eye with colorful and clever hanging signs and visual elements. Among BookPeople's display tables this month are "Books for the Plane," a Simpsons-themed table, "Biography + Historical Fiction," and "Please, Sir, I want some more... CLASSICS!"

But it's not just display tables prompting patrons to purchase books and gifts. Bercu reported that about three years ago BookPeople began displaying staff picks in one section of the store face-out on eye-level shelves. The results were impressive so the marketing strategy has since been expanded to encompass nearly every section of the store (and can be seen in the accompanying photos). "These books are very visible, and everyone of those books has a little story about it [on a shelf-talker]," he said. "The staff pick the books ... it's a terrific idea."

BookPeople and several of its customers will be celebrating a success of another kind this Saturday. That's when Amanda Traphagan and Stephen Gray, a couple who met at a store author event featuring Douglas Coupland and subsequently fell in love, will be exchanging wedding vows in BookPeople's second floor event space. Said Bercu, "They're booklovers."

In addition to their family and friends, the couple will be surrounded by their favorite books. The ceremony, beginning at 5:30 p.m., will be open to the public and the couple is inviting media to the event.

"We just loved their story," said Alison Kothe, BookPeople's events coordinator, in a press release. "They met here and fell in love at one of our events. We just wanted to do something nice for them and be part of that love story."

The couple has a blog dedicated to the event at www.futureboyfuturegirl.com.

BookPeople has played host to one previous marriage. Former manager Brian Anderson and his long time girlfriend were married by assistant manager Dan Nugent in a private ceremony two years ago. --David Grogan