Tag: how to

Smart Tools for Easier Buying: Leveraging Our Custom Website Tools

December 12, 2023

Are you using Book Depot’s website tools to their fullest capabilities? We’ve made the book buying process so much easier for our customers through the creation of custom tools to help them search for the books they want. Gone are the days of having to painstakingly type in authors one-by-one and juggling multiple keywords to uncover books in line with customers’ interests.

With our Custom List Creator, you set the criteria. This tool empowers you to tailor lists according to your specific needs and preferences. Save your customized lists for future use, set up templates to have them emailed to you, and choose both the day and frequency for receiving these lists. Doesn’t that sound like a time-saver?

Moreover, enhance your experience by applying advanced filters. Precision is at your fingertips as you refine results by quantity, concentrate on budget-friendly price points, identify in-stock arrival dates, specify preferred publishers, and eliminate redundancy by excluding previously viewed lists.

Curious about this tool’s secret hideout? After logging in, just click the person icon at the top, then navigate to My Lists. Click ‘Create,’ and voila! You can customize your list across various categories including:

Category
Publisher
Author
Format
Price & Quantity
Arrival Date
Demographic
Keywords
Exclude Lists

At Book Depot, we’re not just about offering an extensive book selection at great prices; we’re on a mission to make your shopping smarter, so you can maximize your resources. Say hello to efficiency with tools that put convenience at your fingertips.

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Unlocking Success: The Magic of Bargain Books in Your Store

November 29, 2023

In the dynamic world of retail, finding the perfect balance between quality offerings and budget-friendly choices is an art. One avenue that holds immense potential for both customers and store owners is the realm of bargain books. These treasures not only delight avid readers but also open up new avenues for sales growth and customer loyalty. Let’s explore the benefits of incorporating bargain books into your inventory and how to maximize their sales in your store.

Broadening Customer Base

Bargain books act as a magnet for a diverse audience. While budget-conscious readers are drawn to the affordability, others might be enticed to explore new genres or authors they wouldn’t have considered at regular prices. By offering discounted books, you attract a wider customer base, making your store more inclusive and appealing.

Boosting Impulse Purchases

A well-displayed section of bargain books near the checkout counter can spark impulse purchases. Customers often find it hard to resist a good deal, especially when it comes to adding an affordable gem to their purchase. Consider strategically placing bargain books in high-traffic areas to capitalize on these impromptu buying decisions.

Building Customer Loyalty

Bargain books can serve as a gateway to cultivating long-term relationships with your customers. By offering them affordable options, you demonstrate a commitment to providing value, creating a positive shopping experience. Satisfied customers are more likely to return, and with word-of-mouth marketing, your store can become a go-to destination for both quality and savings.

Creating Theme-Based Displays

Maximize the appeal of bargain books by creating theme-based displays. Whether it’s seasonal discounts, genre-specific promotions, or highlighting hidden gems, organizing your discounted selection in an attractive and organized manner can significantly enhance their appeal. Visual storytelling around the bargain books encourages customers to explore and discover new titles.

Leveraging Social Media for Promotion

Harness the power of social media to promote your bargain book offerings. Share regular updates on these titles or host online book discussions around these budget-friendly options. Engaging with your audience through platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter can amplify your store’s visibility and attract a broader online audience. Stay connected to BookTok for what’s trending, as a lot of bargain book titles are highly sought after.

Incorporating bargain books into your retail strategy isn’t just about providing affordable options; it’s about creating an experience that resonates with your customers. By maximizing the benefits of bargain books, your store can become a haven for both savvy readers and those looking to embark on new literary adventures without breaking the bank. Unlock the magic of affordability and watch as your store transforms into a thriving hub for book enthusiasts of all kinds.

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Manage favorites page on Book Depot website.

Webinar: Maximizing the Book Depot Website

June 27, 2018

Throughout the years, we have been refining our website to make our customers’ buying experience as easy and efficient as possible. If you are new to our website and want to learn about all the features it has to offer, watch the video below. If you are a returning visitor, discover how you can get the most out of our site by leveraging its features to their full potential.

Website features covered (in order of reference):

If you prefer to read about the features on Book Depot, we invite you to read this article.

What would you like to see?

Do you have any suggestions or features that you would like to see built into our website to make your buying experience even better? Do you have any positive or negative feedback that you would like to share regarding our current site? Place your suggestions in the comments below.

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Hands being raised to take part in a survey.

The Survey Says – Make Your Business Stronger

May 9, 2018

How do your customers truly feel about you? Are you their “go to” source for books? Should you be restyling your store, or offering more products? I am sure these questions and countless others are always top-of-mind for all booksellers, but formalizing the process may get pushed aside in the hectic daily running of your business. One way to truly know how you are perceived – surveying your customer base. At Book Depot we query our constituents for each of our lines of business on an annual basis. We use this data to reflect on where we’ve been and as an important tool for planning our future. Some of the benefits of taking the time to properly plan and execute a surveying initiative include:

Customer appreciation. People inherently love to feel valued and that they have a voice that is heard. They will be impressed that you respect their opinion enough to ask them how you are doing.
Customer retention. Customer acquisition is tough and extremely expensive. Satisfying your customer’s needs will keep them coming back – increasing their lifetime value and providing a revenue stream that will be easier to forecast.
Free information. Utilizing your own client base for information comes at no cost (other than time) and will be completely pertinent to your business as all the questions are about your business.
Improve problem areas. We all like to think that each aspect of our business is running smoothly. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to recognize the areas that need to be addressed.
Recognize trends. Are you carrying the right mix of categories and keeping your finger on the pulse of the industry? Can you expand your product lines by carrying higher margin products? Asking product based questions will reduce your fiscal risk by identifying fact-based gaps in your selection. (It is impossible for one person to know everything there is to know about the publishing world.)
Establishing a baseline. Performing surveys consistently over a length of time will provide you an opportunity to gauge yourself against yourself. Track all the changes you made and monitor how they are received.

I know what you must be thinking, theoretically I see the value – but I don’t have the time or know where to even begin. Let me assure you that it has never been easier than it is today. To make the process manageable, we have broken it down into three basic steps to help ensure your initiative will have success:

Scripting the Survey

Pinpoint exactly what you want to know (i.e. should we expand our bargain book section?).
Use basic language. Stay away from industry lingo that could confuse your customer.
Keep the questions as short as possible and never exceed a total of 10. Only ask the questions that will not have the biggest impact on success.
Utilize the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Book Depot ends every survey by asking, “How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend, or colleague”. We feel this is the most powerful way to gauge the overall health of your business. Willingness to recommend your store to a friend, is extremely powerful.

Administering the Survey

Choose a web-based survey provider. We use Survey Monkey for all of ours. It is extremely user friendly, offers great examples & step-by-step tutorials and provides the data in a manageable format.
Define who you want to query. Are you looking to poll your entire list or are you really looking for information from a specific subset of customers in your database?
Decide if you want to provide an incentive. Often times we will offer a predefined discount off the customer’s next purchase if they complete the survey.
Design the survey. Most provide an extremely user-friendly template, so all you need to do is cut-and-paste your questions.

Analyzing the Results

Calculate the response rate (divide the number of completed surveys by the total number of surveys sent). The higher the response rate, the more representative and trustworthy the data will be. Aim for over 10%.
Be open minded. Listen to what the data is really telling you, not what you want it to tell you… this can be harder than you would think.
Categorize the data. “Bucketing” your responses by area of your business will make it easier to focus on the specific needs of each.
Look at your results on both a micro and macro and level. You will glean key “nuggets” by looking at both.
Thank your respondents. Let them know how much you appreciate their time and how you plan to utilize the responses to better serve their book buying needs in the future.

As David Penn succinctly stated, “Measuring engagement and engaging consumers are two sides of the same coin.” At Book Depot this is one of our mantras. We know that not only have our customers made us who we are today, but make us who we will be in the future. If we want that future to be successful, we must keep our finger on their collective pulse.

Making customer surveys a key part of your annual planning will pay off with making your store stronger and more profitable, while keeping your customers loyal!

Greg Sizelove

Business Development Manager

Book Depot

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Adults sitting around boardroom table discussing hiring basics.

Hiring Basics: Tips to Help Find the Right People

December 27, 2017

Hiring is not an easy task, but if you have a good plan in place, you’ll be well on your way to finding the right people for your company. Read on for some tips and guidelines to keep in mind when you’re hiring your next team member.

Know the Position You’re Hiring For

Before you post a job ad, the first thing you should do is come up with a list of responsibilities for the position. This will serve as the basis for the rest of the hiring process. If you’re overseeing the hiring for a department that you’re not part of yourself, ask the department manager or supervisor for more details—they will have the best idea of their department’s specific needs. Beyond job responsibilities, some other basic factors to consider are: Is this a brand new position, or are you looking to fill an existing one? Is it full time, part time, or contract? What will the salary or hourly wage be? How many hours per week does the position require? Is it an entry-level position for which candidates do not need any previous experience, or is experience/schooling necessary? Knowing all of this information beforehand will help you find the most suitable candidates for the position, as well as help prevent you from inadvertently representing the position in a misleading or contradictory way.

Have a Plan

You’ve posted a great ad and interested candidates have sent in their resumes. Now you’ll need to prepare an order of operations for the selection process: Which staff members will be participating in the interviews? What will their roles be? Will there be one interview or two (or more)? Will the first interview be conducted via phone? Will you issue a personality/aptitude assessment, or a project? What is the expected timeline? When will you contact candidates for each stage of the process? Having a clear roadmap (and communicating it with your candidates) will help keep you on track, organized, and professional.

Consistency is Key

It is important to treat all candidates fairly throughout the selection process. Come up with a standard list of questions to ask everyone you interview for the position. If you plan to issue an assessment or project, ensure you use the same terms, timeline, and criteria for each candidate. Using consistent evaluation methods for everyone will go a long way in helping you to determine the successful candidate.

No Surprises

Make sure you and your candidates are on the same page from start to finish. If you’re hiring for a contract position that has a definite end date, clearly specify this in the job ad and reiterate it during the interview process. If the position requires specific experience, education, or equipment, be upfront about it; don’t wait until both you and your candidates have invested a significant amount of time in the selection process to find out you’re not going to be a good fit for each other.

Take Notes

Whether you’re meeting with three candidates or ten, it’s good practice to take thorough notes each time you sit down for an interview. With everything else that is going on in your busy day, remembering who said what will be one less thing you have to worry about. You’ll also have something tangible to refer back to for any follow-up interviews or contact, making it that much easier to navigate the selection process.

Consider the Culture of Your Workplace

Your company’s culture—which is continuously reshaped by everything from the unique personalities of your staff members, to the goals and values of your company, to the working environment itself—plays a large part in both hiring and retention. A thriving company culture attracts qualified applicants, and perhaps more importantly, gives them a good reason to stay! When hiring, look for candidates who have the potential to positively impact your company’s culture; our CEO Wilf Wikkerink wrote a fantastic blog post at the beginning of the year titled “The Right People on the Bus” that covers this topic in greater detail—we suggest you check it out.

Have any questions or tips of your own you’d like to share? Leave a comment below or email us directly at [email protected]—we’d love to hear from you.

Faeryn Genovese

Book Depot

Human Resources Coordinator

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5 Tips for Running a Successful Store Event

August 2, 2017

If you think having fun at work is a myth, then you’re wrong! Maybe it’s time to bring some pizazz into your workplace and host an exciting event for you and your customers! Connecting with customers is a deeply important part of running a successful business, and what better ways to connect with the people you cater to than by literally catering to them? Starting an interactive in-store experience for your customers may seem like a daunting task, but in the long run, not only will the revenue reflect your efforts, but you will also have created a whole new community of people within your business.

Here are some tips for running a successful store event:

1. Get the word out

You may have a steady stream of customers throughout the week, but how do you know if putting on a special store event will be worth your efforts? The answer to this is to advertise until you can recite your event details in your sleep. One hugely effective way to do this is through social media. More and more people are turning to Facebook, Twitter, and websites to find details for upcoming events, so make sure it is posted well enough in advance for people to plan around your event! If you spring it on your customers the day of, they may not get the memo and the poor turnout might turn you off of ever putting on another event. Another highly effective way to do this is through word of mouth. Though social media is an expanding phenomenon, there is still a great deal of value in personally informing your customers about your upcoming events. Whether it be just with a friendly reminder, or if you hand them a physical flyer outlining all the details, customer interaction is always effective. Remember, that’s why you’re putting on the events in the first place!

2. Be passionate!!

If there is something that you are passionate about, don’t hesitate to incorporate it into your events! Many themes I’ve used have been related to my favorite authors, holidays, seasons, animals, etc. Trust me—your customers will know if you are engaged. The more enthusiastic you can be about bringing something new and exciting to your store, the more entertaining and meaningful it will be for your customers. Not to mention, the more engaged you are with your audience, the more rewarding it will ultimately be for your business. By participating and reaching out, you can form important and lasting relationships with people, which will essentially do a large portion of your marketing work for you! When you provide a good customer experience, people are much more likely to pass on the word to friends and family and send many new faces your way!

3. Dollar stores are your best friend

When planning events for a large group of people, it can be hard to fit everything you need into a budget that will still allow for profit. This is where your local dollar store comes in handy! In my experience, I have been able to provide craft supplies, prizes, decorations, and refreshments for 50+ people for under $100, just by shopping smart and making a little go a long way. Buying things in bulk and really getting your money’s worth out of the supplies you purchase makes the day’s sales numbers that much more satisfying.

4. Free is key

If you want your store event to be successful, I have found that advertising FREE attendance for your customers is the key to a larger turnout. Your goal is to get more traffic in your store, and nothing brings bargain shoppers out like free things! The more people you have coming through your doors, the more you’ll have purchasing your product when they may never have stepped foot in your store otherwise. It also never hurts to make noticeable displays of event-related product to catch their attention. Another good tip for advertising a free event is to keep a sign-up sheet and ask your customers to put their names on the list prior to the event to guarantee their attendance. This way you can gain a better estimate of the size of your crowd, and customers will have time before the event to spread the word to their friends and families. That being said, when promising a free event for anyone to attend, make sure you have adequate space to accommodate a large crowd. The word “free” often generates a pretty overwhelming response!

5. Think outside the box

Don’t be afraid to seek outside help for your events! There is a wealth of available services geared specifically towards catering to corporate events. Whether it is a magician, a live animal show, or an art workshop, there are always new and affordable ways to bring something exciting into your place of business. Many entertainment companies are also more than willing to provide discounts and extra deals to suit your needs, so it always helps to call and speak personally with your potential guests before booking.

Regardless of which direction you decide to go in with your events, remember that they are yours and if you’re not having fun with them, then your customers won’t either. Whether it is an event geared toward children, family, or adults, the more engaged you are in what you’re doing, the better success you will have. Participating in fun activities different from your daily routine will not only improve your relationship with your customers, but it is an excellent team-building exercise for you and your staff as well. The more involved you become within your surrounding community, the bigger your customer base will grow and you will find that work can be more fun than you thought it could be!

Samara Bissonnette

Book Outlet

Retail Store Manager

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Wooden arch filled with books in book outlet store.

Book Art: Get People Talking About Your Store

December 5, 2016

Book Art

Creating something interesting in-store for people to talk about can increase foot traffic and chatter around your business! Book Art is a great way to achieve this!

Gerry Wikkerink, retired father (and avid woodworker!) of Book Depot CEO Wilf Wikkerink, built this book arch which serves as the entrance to our 40,000 square ft. retail store in St. Catharines, Ontario. The arch has become the subject of many social media posts, contests, and creates an amazing impression for first time customers to the store. We also started a hashtag gallery that can be viewed here, in which customers who visit the store are encouraged to share their picture under our #bookportal.

Check out some other book art below that may seem a little elaborate at first, but use your creativity to see how you could install something on a smaller scale to your store and get your customers talking!

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