Full Steam Ahead for BookStream

Wholesaler BookStream, which opened in Poughkeepsie, New York, last December, is now running at full capacity, according to the company's vice president of sales and marketing, Maury McClelland. Noting that BookStream now distributes virtually all publishers and has been serving many independent bookstores along the East Coast and beyond for several months, he described the company's inventory as being at the proper level to be in a "competitive mode and a source for booksellers."

During a several-months-long soft opening, BookStream carefully planned its growth, because, McClelland said, the wholesaler didn't want "any of the factors that have to work together -- sales efforts, marketing efforts, EDI capacity, inventory, etc. -- to outstrip other factors."

BookStream currently services an area within a two-day reach via UPS, which covers bookstores from Maine to Florida and as far west as Indiana and Ohio, said McClelland, and it is looking to eventually extend its reach. The company operates out of a 100,000-square-foot-plus warehouse in the Poughkeepsie Business Park, several miles outside the city's center.

BookStream offers a 42 percent discount on all orders and free freight on orders of $150 or more in shipped value. It is also EDI-ready and compatible with WordStock, IBID, Anthology, Booklog, and Square One.

"We're very happy with response from independent booksellers," said McClelland. "We focus only on independents. That's our philosophy. We're leveling the playing field and the more they support us the faster we can grow and be of service." --Karen Schechner