Let’s Freshen Things Up a Little
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12:30 AM, 5 July 2018
There are many reasons why a bookstore chooses to renovate their space. Maybe it’s a case of 90s décor trying to attract a 21st century audience. Maybe the space needs to be smaller, or maybe, you need to change venue altogether.
We had a chat to a few bookshop managers who had made a change recently for this weeks’ The Read. Thank you to Dan Mackay and Tammy Harrison from ubiq at Auckland University, Helen Wadsworth from Dorothy Butler Bookshop in Ponsonby, Lincoln Gould from Messines Bookshop in Featherston, and Don Hollander from Book Haven Ltd in Newtown, all of whom have made some major changes in the past year, for their input.
Why renovate?
For the two stores that were renovating their existing space – ubiq and The Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop – their renovation was borne of necessity as much as due to a space which had dated badly.
Dan Mackay, Retail Manager at ubiq says, ‘We condensed the store from operating over two floors and moved everything upstairs to what was formerly the general book level.
‘This necessitated a complete layout redesign, aiming to keep the majority of the general book and stationary space and selling textbooks as a counter service. We also rebranded (after 50+ years) to ubiq in July 2017, so needed a store that was modern, vibrant and reflected our new brand.’
Dorothy Butler manager Helen Wadsworth also needed to make her shop slightly smaller, thanks to having to bring their office space into the shop. ‘Also, it was looking a little tired (last redecorated around 1990) and we wanted to put our own stamp on it.’
A few weeks ago, Don Hollander opened his new Book Haven store at 160 Riddiford St. His decision to move was based on space. ‘Book Haven had a wee space in Newtown for more than 13 years. We had ended up with about 60,000 books in 2500 banana boxes in the warehouse, supporting just 7,000 books in the small and crowded shop.
‘The warehouse landlord gave notice that they wanted to turn the space into apartments. This seemed like a good time to shift and secure a good, bright and much more generous space.’
Lincoln Gould, who doubles as a bookseller at Messines Bookshop when he isn’t CEO of Booksellers NZ, renovated the premises he took over from another bookshop, who moved across the road.
Who they called for help
Our stores had a range of approaches to this, from the good old kiwi DIY, to appointing an external company and letting them do their work.
Wadsworth had a great asset in a staff member who happened to also be a great project manager. ‘She got quotes for painting, carpet cleaning, computer cabling, electrical work and building the new wall and counter and a couple of new shelves. She also managed the timing of it as we closed for 10 days – it was quite tight in terms of getting everything done.
‘We also had an ex staff member who is a whizz at interior decoration and she suggested colours for our walls and had the idea for a new lighting over the counter. We made all the decisions ourselves about where to put things and what shelving to use, and the design of the counter.’
Hollander just needed more shelving. ‘We used a specialist shelving company to maximise shelf space through good quality, second-hand Lundia shelving.’
Gould asked a few local tradesmen – and his wife. ‘I talked to a local painter and signage specialist. As I was starting a new business, I also had to establish a new website and took on CircleSoft for inventory management.’
Mackay at ubiq went with an external company for the entire project. ‘We consulted with a few before deciding on the one we thought best understood where we wanted to take the design. They worked with us from concept to fit out, encompassing everything from shelving and counter design, layout, lighting and colour palette.
‘It was a mammoth task, given the space and wide range of what we stock, and that required some clever design thinking on their part.’
The best part of the new design
Ubiq loves the colour and vibrancy that our store now has, saying ‘It’s so much brighter and more open now, out books pop with colour from the white shelves. It has opened up our range and highlighted products that may have been lost in the old wooden shelving units.
‘Everything is on wheels so we can change the laytout as needed without any back-breaking. This is crucial when we want to highlight certain categories or when we need to adjust for customer flow at the start of a semester.’
Dorothy Butler really like their new counter. ‘There are lots of useful spaces behind the counter – purpose-built spaces for bags and tills. And we got rid of the old plastic black tubes hanging from the ceiling housing our computer cabling.
‘And our logo on the wall behind just sets it off!’
Dorothy Butler rebranded near the end of 2017, and the logo is certainly a wonderful highlight.
Gould’s favourite part of Messines is the cash box.
Hollander says that the front of the shop is getting to be quite comfortable. ‘The shop is much much bigger than the old one, so we are getting plenty of steps. The Children’s section is also quite cozy, with chairs for children and grandparents.’
Customer reactions
Having visited Dorothy Butler recently, Sarah Forster from Booksellers NZ agrees the store is looking amazing. Wadsworth says, ‘Everyone loves it and some people even say it looks bigger than before (even though it’s smaller). It’s mostly painted white and that has just made it feel more spacious.
Hollander remarks, ‘People are spending much more time in the shop. They’re engrossed in one section or another. They like that it’s bright and still airy and that we have more books in the shelf instead of in the warehouse.’
Customers at ubiq have been really positive about the change, especially how light and open it is and the range of products they can now see. ‘There has been a certain amount of ‘re-education’ with students around how we now sell texts, however we head now into Semester Two with more knowledge and improvements made.’
Featherston shoppers like their book owners boozy, apparently. Gould says, ‘A previous owner of the bookshop in the same premises used to often have a glass of red wine in her hand. Some previous customers are disappointed when they learn I don’t.’
One piece of advice for those who intend to renovate or change premises
Mackey from ubiq says, ‘Be organised, remain calm, and enjoy the finished product. We have been very fortunate to have had such a great team at the shop who have dealt amazingly well with all the upheaval and last minute changes and have been enthusiastic in reclaiming the space and making the store look incredible.’
From Wadsworth at Dorothy Butler: ‘If you’re not good at project management – find someone who is! And be clear about your budget before you start as with everything – it’s easy to overspend.’
Lincoln Gould from Messines says, ‘Get the landlord to pay as much as you can – mine installed a new lavatory plus ceiling insulation.’
Hollander says: ‘Remember the focus is on the stock. If it’s not there, people are less inclined to buy it.’
ENDS
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