Wow - what a first year!
At times, it felt like a roller coaster I couldn’t get off, and at others, like a leisurely walk in the park. The learning curve was steep, but one of the biggest takeaways was discovering what truly resonates with our customers. In case you were wondering, Indie Authors took the top spot across the board, with Fantasy leading the charge and Dark Romance coming in as a close second.
Balancing inventory, keeping up with the latest releases, predicting the next viral TikTok book, and managing everything in between was overwhelming - sometimes, it felt like running on a hamster wheel! Some people assume we’re a romance-only bookstore because of our pink branding, but we actually carry a wide range of genres, including fantasy, contemporary romance, thriller, YA, and even children’s books. And beyond that, we have a thriving used book section - but more on that later!
To prepare for bookstore ownership, I spent nearly two years in an intensive inventory management coaching program. Inventory control is everything in this business, especially when profit margins are razor-thin. But even with all that training, I quickly realized that hands-on experience is the best teacher - i’m still learning every day.
Something that doesn’t get talked about enough is the financial reality of indie books versus traditionally published books. You might wonder why more bookstores don’t stock indie titles, and the answer comes down to profit margins. Traditional publishers offer bookstores an average discount of 40% (before shipping), while indie books typically range from 20% - sometimes as low as 5%! Meanwhile, a business needs a profit margin of around 60% just to break even, with 80% being the ideal.
This is why bookstores struggle to stay open. It’s why most don’t offer discounts and why competing with Amazon is nearly impossible - not because we don’t want to, but because we can’t. When you shop at an indie bookstore, you’re not just buying a book; you’re investing in the bookstore, the community it fosters, and the future of indie bookshops as a whole. I could go on about this for hours, but maybe I’ll save that for another blog-ha!
One of the things I’m most grateful for is our used book section. My original intent was to offer something for every budget, but over time, I realized it became something even more special - a constantly evolving collection with a little bit of everything. Our used books come from our book buyback program, where customers bring in their pre-loved books, and we purchase them.
Unexpectedly, our used section grew larger than our new book section so much so that we started receiving negative reviews from customers disappointed by the selection of new books.
As a business owner, you have to make tough decisions and trust your instincts.
After receiving that feedback, we rearranged the store, more than doubled our new book inventory, and reduced the used section. Thankfully, it was the right call! This change allowed us to offer a wider variety of new books, introduce a dedicated children’s section, and rotate used books more quickly so there was always fresh stock.
Throughout this year, we’ve adjusted, improved, and grown in so many ways. Looking back, I’m proud of how far we’ve come, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support of our community.
One of our biggest improvements has been our events. We now host more of them, with better organization and a greater variety. And thanks to a full year of experience, we know what our customers love! Silent Book Club and Trivia Nights? Those are our jam!
To be honest, this first year was far from perfect, but we’ve learned so much. Heading into Year Two, I feel more confident than ever in the vision for Bookish Boutique, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store for 2025.
Thank you for an incredible first year - here’s to many more!