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Marketing and the bookselling brand Current strategy and the managers’ perspective

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Audrey Laing and Jo Royle Department of Communication and Publishing, Aberdeen Business School, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify current marketing initiatives undertaken by UK chain booksellers and analyses them in the context of established retailing and marketing theory. Thus, established scholarly theory is being examined in a novel research setting. Design/methodology/approach – The paper includes evidence and findings from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with various book trade experts working at different levels within the trade. Findings – Focusing on the strategies behind the chains’ marketing techniques, the paper concentrates in particular upon the new emphasis by UK chains upon serving a wider clientele and their efforts to establish individual identities and be “community responsive”. This has resulted in a re-emphasis both upon customer service and on the relationship between bookseller and customer. New developments in the facilities to be found in chain bookshops, such as coffee shops and the proliferation of sofas and browsing areas are analysed as to their contribution to bookshop “atmosphere”. Originality/value – This research is both timely, responding to calls from the trade for research and original, given the dearth of research on the book trade. The findings are examined within the context of academic theory in related fields, such as retailing, marketing and consumer behaviour. As such, findings from this highly original research are relevant both for the trade and for the wider academic community regarding their application and consideration in other scholarly settings. Keywords Bookselling, Marketing, Brands, Marketing strategy, Lifestyles, United Kingdom Paper type Research paper

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management Vol. 34 No. 3, 2006 pp. 198-211 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0959-0552 DOI 10.1108/09590550610654366

Introduction The role of bookshops in UK society has developed dynamically since the early 1980s. Since the inception of the eponymous Waterstone’s bookshops in 1982, the rise and rise of the “new” chains with knowledgeable staff and stylish interiors has influenced the development of bookshops into destination stores. These have taken inspiration from the US concept of lifestyle bookselling and all the facilities associated with that term, such as coffee shops and sofas (Kreitzman, 1999; Pennington, 1997). The public’s changing expectations of what a bookshop should be, as well as an economic need for the chains to attract new markets, has led to a reassessment of the marketing and branding strategies adopted by chain bookshops. A particular focus on extending the bookshop environment so as to appeal to all sectors of the community has led to many chains “tailoring” the titles they stock and the publicity material used, in order to be particularly relevant to their local community. The need to be community responsive is seen as an integral strategy to enable bookshops to appeal to a wider market, particularly those people who may not even have visited bookshops before. Increased

competition between chains, independents and now online bookshops and supermarkets has also had the effect of concentrating chain efforts regarding those basic qualities integral to every good bookshop, such as range, tidiness and customer service. The concept of customer service in particular is being stretched to cover newer strategies such as “hand selling” – the one-to-one service and advice given to individual customers by booksellers which focuses on individual customer needs and offers advice and suggestions. In order to understand in more detail the strategy behind these changes in marketing, it is important that a more detailed study of marketing and branding in the particular context of bookselling is undertaken. Key strategies are identified and examined in the context of established retail theory. This paper includes findings from in-depth interviews carried out with managers of UK chain bookshops (some with links to the US) and analyses their respective companies’ strategies on branding and marketing. Rationale and objectives While it is possible to form an overall impression of current strategic procedures within UK chain booksellers by undertaking a reading of trade journals on the subject, such as The Bookseller, academic research specifically on the book trade is rather limited (Stallard, 1999; Pennington, 1997; Royle et al., 1999; Royle and Stockdale, 2000). However, research on online bookselling is becoming more established (Hennessey, 2000; Gardiner, 2002; Clay et al., 2002). The lack of research into the book trade can be understood by seeing that historically the book trade has been absorbed into the context of the larger retail environment. Historically, the book trade has been reactive rather than proactive in many of its business decisions, but if there has been a lack of clear strategically led planning in the past, bookshops would certainly not be alone amongst the business community in concentrating on other more commercially immediate aspects of trading (Gilbert, 2003). This is gradually changing, due to the competitive nature of the current market; a more professional or “commercial” approach to bookselling and also because of the influx of retail experts to the book trade from other retail sectors which have historically been seen as more dynamic. The competitive nature of the book industry as it is currently in the UK has led to the implementation of many of the changes outlined above and it has become necessary to respond to the calls from within the trade for research (Watson, 2002). Research findings from this project have been underpinned and firmly placed in an academic context by considering theory from the areas of marketing, branding, strategy and consumer behaviour in the specific field of book retailing. Research undertaken in the context of bookselling has made clear that a sound understanding of these topics would be essential. Key texts such as Kotler (1996), Gilbert (2003), McGoldrick (2002), Solomon (2002) and Thompson (2001) form part of the foundation for this exploratory research, but perhaps the most crucial aspect of the review of literature is how the two areas of reading, i.e. trade and scholarly, sit with each other, or how the theory from established writers in the field (such as those above) can be applied and considered in the context of retail bookselling. Therefore, the key aims of this paper are to: . establish key marketing and branding tools used in UK chain bookshops; . determine the strategy behind the implementation of these tools; and

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consider these marketing strategies in a scholarly context of established academic theory.

Given the dearth of academic research within the book trade, each of these steps is important in expanding knowledge of the book trade and is useful for both academics and practitioners alike.

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Methodological approach Chain bookshops were selected for the research as it was envisaged that due to the nature of the organisation and internal structuring, these were the UK bookshops most likely to have an established marketing history, marketing strategy and future plans. In order to establish current marketing strategy and identify marketing tools used in UK bookselling, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were carried out with various book trade experts working in, or for three UK chain bookshops. The four interviewees selected represented various levels within the selected bookshops (two store managers, one marketing manager and one chain marketing director) but in each case were aware of, current strategic information such as weekly marketing plans, future strategy for discussion and current problems. With the exception of the marketing director, each interviewee was in a position to facilitate implementation of marketing plans. Therefore, it was felt that they were likely also to be aware of problems arising, since they worked closely with booksellers on the shop floor. The interviews were designed with a view to drawing out information on the key themes of: . brand identity of the store in question; . marketing strategies and tools; . any recent developments or changes in the branding or marketing strategies; and . customer experience in store, especially in relation to staff interaction. The starting points for these themes came from readings of trade commentaries on current issues affecting the trade. Nevertheless an effort was made to keep the interviews as open as possible, and to engender an atmosphere of openness in order to draw out new, unanticipated information (Creswell, 2003). Two pilot interviews were carried out (one with the manager of a local academic bookshop, the other with a former manager of a chain bookshop). Minor changes were made to the interview schedule before the interviews were carried out. These were undertaken at the interviewees’ places of work – with the exception of one telephone interview – and full assurances of confidentiality were given. The interviews were tape recorded and promptly transcribed allowing observations which were still fresh in the researchers mind to be noted simultaneously, since Kvale (1996, p. 160) is of the opinion that transcription is “not a mere clerical task, but an interpretative process”. While inevitable bias occurs while interviewing due to the interviewer’s own background and experience (Denscombe, 1998), Kvale (1996, p. 287) says that: rather than attempt to eliminate the personal interaction of interviewer and interviewee . . . [we can] regard the person of the interviewer as the primary methodological tool.

Indeed, Kvale says that familiarity with the environment in which the interviews are to take place, is essential. The researcher’s own experience within the book trade certainly

influenced the inception of the research and personal interest, but it is felt that by making clear her own background within the trade, as well as many years experience therein, the interviews were in some cases made easier, due to establishing mutual respect and because interviewees were able to use jargon and refer to book trade events which had taken place over the years, in the knowledge that the interviewer would recognise these references. An effort was made to maintain an open, reflective approach to the interview process, in order to allow fresh themes to emerge from the process. Indeed, this open, reflective approach led to the topics of “third place” and “community responsiveness” emerging from the interviewees, rather than the researcher. While transcribing, notes were made reflecting key issues which seemed to be emerging. A re-reading of the transcripts revealed further threads of information and memos were made, collating themes from the earlier notes. A thorough familiarity with the transcripts has aided the analysis of the rich interview data and underpinned the substance of the emergent themes (Miles and Huberman, 1994). Marketing the brand in bookshops When examining how the brand identity and marketing strategies have evolved in UK bookshops, it is clear to any bookshop customer that display methods, whether in windows or on tables in store, have become much more stylised and uniform in recent years amongst the chains. Bookshops are now obliged to take a much more rigorous and professional approach to marketing. According to one manager interviewed, marketing in bookshops is now “more robust, more professional, more competitive, less naı¨ve”. There now exists “increased marketing control” and “increased advice” from head office as to how bookshops should be “pushing the brand”. The general shift towards increased professionalism; greater cohesion across individual chains regarding marketing techniques; the trend for taking retail experts in from outside the book trade and the increase in competition across the chains and from supermarkets and online booksellers have helped the UK chains adopt a more strategic approach as regards marketing and branding. It is important to bear in mind that an increasingly sophisticated approach to marketing can be seen across the whole of the retail sector and is partly in response to the increased sophistication of the consumer (Christopher et al., 2002). Given the new sophistication of many shoppers, the book trade has been forced to undertake a more professional approach to marketing the product. Indeed one manager thought that “the brand for us” is personified in “how we merchandise the shop”. She went on to explain that the style of display seemed to her to be more representative of the brand identity of the chain than the books that were stocked, and was thought to involve more “prescriptive input” from head office than even the choice of titles for sale. The new professionalism in approaching marketing is evident across most of the UK’s chain bookshops, and is referred to time and again by the managers interviewed, as they talked about the “strict set of expectations and guidelines” as regards front of shop display and the integral importance of particular areas in store – especially “front of shop” for many stores, which encapsulates the brand identity of the store in many cases. The new prescriptiveness of book chain marketing departments is not necessarily perceived as a bad thing by the bookshops concerned, but a side-effect perceived by some in the trade is the resulting “sameness” across many of the chain


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bookstores: the same books displayed in the same shape with the same posters, no matter which branch of a given chain you may visit. So, while Kotler and Armstrong (2001) said “[Branding is] . . . a name, term, sign, symbol, or design . . . that identifies the maker or seller of a product or service,” one has to bear in mind that “values attached to a brand are defined by consumers, not marketers” (Hall, 2000) and to examine these views of branding within a book trade which is becoming increasingly homogenous. The discount-focussed approach and homogeneity The factors influencing consumer purchase of products, beyond those of utility, are subtle and multifarious (Gilbert, 2003; Solomon, 2002; Tauber, 1972). In the current competitive book retailing market, the search for distinction in order to gain a competitive advantage may sometimes seem to have been given a low priority given the similarity of the marketing techniques across many of the UK chain bookshops: “3 for 2” (i.e. the sale of three books for the price of two); summer reading campaigns; book of the month; staff recommends, etc. Indeed it is ironic that while many of the managers interviewed stated a key aim was to develop individual store identity within separate branches and to respond to local needs, they meantime use the same marketing tools as their competitors. This applies in particular to price promotions and staff recommends sections. It also applies to aspects of book display such as having a bestsellers section by the door and having tables of promoted books near the entry area to the store. While a competitive advantage can be gained from many different layers of the business within any industry (Porter, 1985) it is still interesting that UK chain bookshops undertake such similar promotional campaigns. Retail analyst Phillips (2003) points out that discounting is the least imaginative way to sell and is sometimes indicative of a desperate attempt to raise sales. If this is true, it would suggest that a more strategic approach to expanding the market for book retailers needs to be generated. There are sacrifices associated with this kind of promotion, most notably that of loss of margin (net profit) and this is felt keenly by store managers. It is also important for bookshops to bear in mind the impact that this kind of price-oriented marketing can have on brand and perhaps most crucially the perception that loyal customers may have of their favoured bookshops. As Kent (2003) says: . . . brand selection is based on experience and expectation; it appeals to a discrete group of buyers, indeed to consistently succeed it must maintain an affinity with a defined group.

The “one size fits all” approach to broadening the market with discounting must be treated by bookshops with care or loyal long serving customers may find themselves with no chain bookshops left where they can feel comfortable and “fit” in their surroundings (Solomon, 2002; Schiffman and Kanuk, 2004) while looking at books. The efforts to expand the market and provide a US style bookshop may be attractive to many people, but if the traditional bookshops were formerly the territory of the “book fiend” they may feel displaced by this obvious strategy to expand the market. The argument that chains are often formulaic in their approach to marketing and even in their stockholding is made by Andy Ross, President of Cody’s Bookstores in California, in an article which states the case for independent bookselling. Ross (2002) says:

The chain stores are mass merchants. They are very good at promoting highly commercial titles with huge printings and giant promotional budgets.

However, they are as a result “formulaic and predictable”. The demise of the independents and their contribution to the breadth of bookselling as a whole was mentioned with regret by several interviewees. One manager felt that the growth of the chains in fact limited choice for the consumer. His regret at the demise of the independents contrasted with the fact that he is the marketing manager of a branch of a large chain is an irony which was not lost on him. He said “the whole nature of large organisations dominating the whole market is, it limits choice”. Nevertheless, co-ordinated promotions are currently an integral part of bookshop life: constant changing of windows, updating of posters and in-store displays occur to a greater degree than ever before. The constant turnaround of promotions and the marketing plans to which all chain bookshops now adhere is a labour intensive system, but when one examines the perceived impact on the brand, some interesting responses are unearthed. When asked in what way common promotions such as back to university (BTU) and “3 for 2” reinforce the brand, the considered opinion of one manager is, “I’m not sure they do reinforce the brand”. The reinforcement of the brand may not be the prime intention of these promotions – presumably it is to increase sales – nevertheless, some impact on brand image might be expected. While one of the stated aims of this kind of price promotion is to demonstrate good pricing and value for money, thus reinforcing those values and attaching them to a particular brand, there are reservations about the margin (net profit) which is given away on such promotions. Rather than “3 for 2”, one manager expressed his frustration at not being able to sell items 3 for 3 instead of “3 for 2” – i.e. at full price. As for how a promotion such as “3 for 2” supported the brand, the same manager made the salient point that every high street bookshop now does “3 for 2” promotions and suggested it was an ideal opportunity for identity to be stamped on a bookshop by not doing a “3 for 2” promotion. As retail analyst Phillips (2003) reminds us: . . . price is the last resort of the unintelligent, uneducated or unimaginative – the easy no brainer option. In contrast, working out what the consumer really wants and supplying it requires time, ability and effort.

The similarity of promotional schemes across UK bookshops makes blurring of identity a real possibility and also makes competitive advantage more difficult to achieve for the stores concerned (Porter, 1985; Thompson, 2001). This element of doubt within stores as regards head office strategy is realistically the kind of tension which one might expect across any large retail establishment. Nevertheless, it would seem to be important to investigate the reasons for undertaking such promotions, if some managers have doubts about them (De Chernatony and McDonald, 1998). According to several of the managers interviewed, a key strategy of these very common promotions (like “3 for 2”, or 2 for £10) is to get new people into the stores concerned, so the fact that many stores are sacrificing a large chunk of margin is just one segment of the larger strategic plan. From a strategic point of view, the marketing director involved in this research raised the interesting point that the “3 for 2” promotion not only offers excellent value for money but also gives people the opportunity to expand their literary tastes and genres with which they were familiar, as it affords them the opportunity to “gamble” on the third title. Nevertheless, it is difficult to quantify the direct effect this


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kind of promotion has either on attracting new customers, brand identity or on the bottom line (although research is ongoing in this area). In many ways the rush for the high street stores and multinationals to take part in “3 for 2” promotions is indicative of the kind of frenzy of discounting that has so defined large parts of the book trade over the past few years. The substantial discounts which have been applied to what could be seen as guaranteed good sellers has been at the heart of much trade discussion and the effectiveness of such promotions is open to debate (Phillips, 2003). While there is perhaps less talk of “loss leaders” currently in the trade, there is still a lot of discounting to be witnessed in the chains and supermarkets, and in the current marketplace where there is still vigorous competition. Bookshops and the “Lifestyle” environment It was already clear from discussion within both trade and scholarly literature (Miller, 1999; Sanderson, 1999; Smith, 1999) that an increasingly important topic for the book trade was that of the atmosphere or ambience in bookshops and the role this has to play in the success of individual branches. This subject area formed an important part of the interviews and was often the area upon which the interviewees placed much emphasis and importance. An important force in the refocusing of marketing strategy within chain bookshops has been the rise of internet bookselling, especially Amazon. The social advantages that high street bookshops have over internet bookshops were possibly overlooked when the initial fears about internet bookselling were voiced. As one manager summed up: . . . a big part of the buying decision for books is looking at them and browsing them, comparing them. Maybe going for a coffee or popping in or being brought in so the . . . human enjoyment of physically going shopping and seeing other people and being seen – you’ll never compete with that.

This sentiment is even supported by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon (Spector, 2000). Although the field of atmospherics and the add-on value of every retail experience is an established field of retail research (Kotler, 1973; Miller, 1998; Woodruffe-Burton et al., 2001) it is only recently that these aspects of the whole shopping experience seem to have come to the fore within the field of bookselling. They are now understood to be integral aspects of the whole book shopping experience, thus endowing bricks and mortar bookshops with a key advantage in an area where the online bookshops are currently unable to compete. The overall cultural shift within bookshops which has taken place over the past few years – particularly as regards the broader market which bookshops are now aiming for – has seen the chain bookshops moving toward a “lifestyle” environment with sofas and coffee shops. However, the effectiveness or otherwise of this directional shift has not been examined or monitored in any detail. As Gardiner (2002) says: Their [the bookshops’] community-building activities are broad brush to say the least, and it is hard to see how this could be refined or how chain bookshops . . . could find out who their customers are, what they purchase individually, as opposed to an aggregate, and how they could be encouraged to do more of it.

From being an atmosphere of quiet and calm for the most bookish of customers, many bookshops have now moved towards being places of and for the whole of the

community: a “third place” (see next section); a lifestyle destination. It is interesting to note that when the topic of coffee shops was raised with the bookshop managers who were interviewed, all of the managers felt that having a coffee shop in store contributed in some way to the store identity. Overall, this was felt to be one of the biggest contributors to the image of bookshops and to add hugely to the atmosphere, ambiance and the feeling that bookshops can have a meaningful impact on the local community. However, although all of the managers interviewed felt that having a coffee shop in store contributed to the brand, there was a general inability to say definitively whether the addition of a coffee shop made any meaningful contribution to sales of books. Furthermore, there was no real knowledge of whether the coffee shop customers are a separate clientele or the same customers who already buy books. It is therefore clear that the benefit to bookshops of having a coffee shop is made harder to assess if it is the experience that is enhanced rather than having a direct, immediate benefit to the bottom line. Nevertheless, while the common use of coffee shops within bookshops may have the effect of obscuring distinctions between the product (or service) and store image (Corstjens and Corstjens, 1995), this blurring of distinctions can be viewed as a positive step in so far as it might encourage the accessibility of bookshops beyond what has in recent years been the habitat of socioeconomic group ABC1 (Mintel, 2003). Many bookshops have introduced coffee shops in store over the past few years and while they are part of a strategic move by bookshop chains to expand their client base, they also satisfy a lifestyle choice which more bookshop visitors are making. If the whole aim of having coffee shops in bookshops is to enhance the book shopping experience rather than the bottom line, this represents a change of focus in bookshop marketing in the UK. Even in the stores which are too small to have coffee shops installed, one manager referred to the “Costa bambinos” which are now in place in some of the smaller stores in her chain. These are trolleys from which staff can serve coffees to customers and is further evidence of the element of “lifestyle” which is seeping in to almost all chain bookshops. This theme, of customers harbouring the expectation of a coffee shop within a bookshop (Sanderson, 1999) was picked up and extended by one manager when commenting on in-store seating. Making the point that customers like to know there are seats around, but that they may not sit in them, she thought this was evidence of another part of the “lifestyle” aspect of the bookshop as a place of comfort and relaxation. She went on to suggest that in a similar vein, customers wanted to know that “big” authors were to visit the store, even though they had no intention of attending the event themselves. The topic of the “lifestyle” store is mentioned with increasing frequency in relation to bookshops and illustrates how the public’s expectations of bookshops has changed beyond all recognition over the past few decades, and most markedly in the past ten years. Bookshops in the community While exploring the brand identity of chain bookshops in the UK, there is considerable overlap in the qualities which managers hope they are conveying to their customers. One of the most pervasive themes is that of the community and how many bookshops aim to appeal to the whole of their respective communities. This theme of inclusiveness and endeavouring to serve the whole community is certainly part a strategic plan to expand the market rather than simply an altruistic aim. However, regardless of the motivation behind this strategy, it carries broad social implications. “Community


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outreach” and “community spirit” are qualities which are perceived by the managers as being integral to the brand identity of many UK chain bookshops, along with the aspects of the store which one might more readily expect to be mentioned, such as knowledgeable staff and a good range of stock. At least one chain is actually referring to some of its own branches as “lifestyle” stores. While exploring the theme of serving the community and the atmosphere of bookshops, one manager introduced the term “third place” which describes a place of or for the community which is free or cheap to enter and where people can find companionship, conversation, partake in the community and perhaps eat or drink (Nozzi, 2004). The term “third” refers to the fact that it comes after one’s home and one’s place of work, to provide a place of relaxation and social interaction with no pressures attached (Oldenburg, 1997). The bookshop as a “destination” or lifestyle choice is a topic which has been referred to before, both in trade writing (McCabe, 1998; Sanderson, 1999) and in academia (Miller, 1999) and is becoming more prevalent with the current expansion of large chain bookshops which have cafes, sofas and enough room for a consumer to spend a considerable amount of time there without being explicitly encouraged to buy any goods. Of course, the retail environment as a place of leisure and pleasure is not a new concept (Satterthwaite, 2001; Nava, 1996; Miles, 1998), but, vitally, it has not been considered before in the context of the UK chain bookshop. Indeed, if one is familiar with Waterstone’s at its inception, it is clear that in 1982, this chain was most definitely an environment for the well-read few, rather than anyone venturing into a branch for the first time. This projected brand identity has most certainly changed. The relaxed atmosphere of many large bookshops was felt by many bookshop managers interviewed to play a primary role in attracting and keeping people in store. One manager specifically mentioned the freedom which customers were given to browse, have coffee and roam around. While store layout and design is undoubtedly part of what makes shopping in any given store more attractive (Miller, 1998; Satterthwaite, 2001; Underhill, 1999), it is often difficult to be exact about what individual consumers mean when they use the terms “atmosphere” or “ambiance”. Many of the managers interviewed referred to the frequency with which customers referred to these terms in the context of the respective stores, and how these qualities were what they liked most about shopping there. Gilbert (2003) refers to “atmospherics” as: The changes made to the design of buying environments that produce special emotional effects that subsequently enhance the likelihood that a purchase will take place.

Kotler (1973, p. 129) originally defined “atmospherics” as “the conscious designing of space to create certain effects in buyers”. His description of atmosphere is broken down categorically into visual, aural, olfactory and tactile dimensions. It is interesting to note that Hoffman et al. (2002) compare the terms atmospherics and servicescape (coined by Bitner (1992)) and suggest they are interchangeable. “I.e. the manmade, physical surroundings as opposed to natural or social environment” (Bitner, 1992). However, it is important to note that the social environment is vital when considering the role of the bookshop in local communities, as well as the qualities which bookshop users experience when using bookshops. In this context, the term atmospheric or servicescape arguably falls short of what is present in the atmosphere of many bookshops. For instance, there are frequent mentions of one bookshop (a large US/UK

chain with several floors, coffee shop and sofas) in the “I saw you” section of the List magazine. This is a classified section of a local events magazine which is subscribed to by a largely youthful population. The “I saw you” section works like any other classified section dealing with relationships but also concentrates on where the interested party saw their potential partner. This clearly extends the social element of the bookshop to another level. That bookshops are now accepted as a place to meet prospective partners illustrates how far the image of the bookshop has come even in the last 20 years. The role of the bookshop in the community is perhaps relatively new in this country (Smith, 1999) but has long been familiar in the USA where there is a strong place occupied in the community by many bookshops (Miller, 1999; Oldenburg, 1997). Miller (1999) points out how this contribution to the community is different depending on whether one considers independent bookselling, which is “sensitive to local tastes” and “supports the community in a cultural sense . . . and in an economic sense” or the chains, which provide large public spaces for the community to come together. The potential for bookshops to play a role in the local community is arguably more overtly obvious in the large chains which have enough cash and space to install coffee shops and sofas. Judging by the interviews undertaken with various trade experts, it is clear that this mantle of community awareness is one which the chains are keen to take on. To be identified as serving the community, being community responsive and in one case being an “independent within a chain” are all goals as far as the UK chains are concerned. In many ways, they seem to be cherry picking the skills traditionally associated with independent bookshops, and implementing these skills in each branch of the chains. The community role played by bookshops is also clearly a commercial advantage – welcoming all people but also obviously hoping they will spend – and is seen as a sound long-term marketing tool. In many large chain bookshops, some people might pop in just to purchase books, but others see it as somewhere to read or study or just relax and have coffee, again underlining the freedom that people now have in many chain bookshops. This “multi-layered branding” means that one bookshop might be many things to many different people. Indeed, this is one aspect of being a third place – providing a safe place to go, but not putting pressure on people to behave in any particular way, other than being socially responsible (Oldenburg, 1997). While there are obvious commercial advantages in promoting the community role and partaking in all of the community outreach activities, nevertheless some booksellers feel there is still an altruistic aspect to it all. As one bookshop manager said, it is one of the good things that bookshops are able to do. He continued, “People come in not just to purchase books or . . . whatever. They come in because it is a lifestyle choice”. Indeed, in his store which out of the ones in question possibly conformed most closely to that ideal of “third place”, bookshop visitors were encouraged to walk around the store with coffee, sit at tables, do work or read and he confirmed that there would be no pressure put on them to purchase anything. As he put it, “we’re not just there to take your money from you; . . . we’re there as part of the community.” This assertion of serving the community is strengthened by the community outreach activities which selected ranches of this particular chain undertake. These include support of charity reading campaigns for the underprivileged and outreach work with schools. According to the marketing manager interviewed at one branch, some of the people coming to the store for school


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visits and talks have never been in a bookshop before. To then be given a voucher to spend on goods of their choice in that bookshop sends a powerful promotional message, hopefully reinforcing the profile of the bookshop in question but also of books in general. Findings and conclusions Although the interviews were carried out with bookshop managers across three different UK chain bookshops, the degree of overlap regarding marketing tools used and underlying marketing strategies (Table I), were considerable. The key marketing tools used by UK chain bookshops were identified as follows: . special offers; . personalised service; . bookshop identity; . community responsiveness; and . bookshop as a lifestyle destination. It is ironic that in the face of a desire to develop individual identity amongst stores in an effort to be seen as community responsive, most chain bookshops persist in using exactly the same marketing tools as each other. (Ongoing research will examine how well consumers can distinguish between chain bookshops in the UK). Price promoted titles such as the ubiquitous “3 for 2” offer or books of the month are still very much at the fore of marketing and seem to be integral to the strategy of most chain bookshops, signifying their desire to widen the market and appeal to the whole of the community. The realisation by many chain bookshops – evidenced by the interviews undertaken – that they need to be community responsive has driven the desire to establish individual branch identity. Whether or not this has been successful, bookshops recognise that although they are part of a chain, the individual needs of their own communities may Marketing tool implemented

Strategy underpinning this tool

Special offers (“3 for 2”, “2 for £10”)

Primarily to attract new customers into bookshops, as well as the need to compete in a difficult market

The desire to establish a distinct identity for “Independent within a Chain” An effort to develop individual identity for shops individual branches of chain bookshops depending on their locale Community responsiveness A need to serve local markets and to be seen to be relevant for the local community

Table I. Matrix of key marketing tools and strategies

“Lifestyle” qualities The introduction of coffee shops, sofas and browsing areas. A focus on the importance of the bookshop atmosphere

The development of the bookshop as a destination store; lifestyle choice, or even a “third place”. Ultimately to attract new bookshop users and to entice them to stay longer. To make the bookshop seem like a more desirable place to linger

Personalised service Techniques such as hand selling, staff recommendation

The need to compete with supermarkets, online booksellers

necessitate significant “tailoring” of stock profiles. The individuality of the different branches can in this context be seen as a strength rather than a challenge to brand integrity, so that the individual personality of (or personalities in) a branch can be used to the advantage of certain stores. Despite the fact that this research focuses on chain bookshops, the branches themselves seem now to be focussing upon the kinds of skills which could be said to have traditionally been the territory of the independents, i.e. personalised customer service and an awareness of the local community. Although the “modern” chain bookshop – Waterstone’s being a prime example – has always been forthright about the kind of service it gives and the knowledge of its booksellers, the emphasis on extending this personal service and serving the whole community seem to be newer strategies. Strategic efforts to make bookshops welcoming, accessible and non-threatening are all part of the concerted effort to make bookshops viable destinations for all sectors of the community (communities). The refocus on customer service and a reassessment of what that term can really mean, has turned the emphasis onto the bookseller and recognises their central role both in driving sales and in customer satisfaction. The key term “hand selling” sets out the model for a customer-bookseller interaction as being individually tailored rather than dealing with just another customer buying a book. However, perhaps the most resonant aspect of bookselling as it is currently is the way in which most of the chains have adopted aspects of lifestyle bookselling and how these have become central to what customers now expect of bookshops. Coffee shops and sofas are becoming the norm in chain bookshops now, but it will be interesting to monitor how far bookshops go in adopting more meaningful aspects of true community bookselling as exists in the USA (Miller, 1999). Should bookshops adopt these far-reaching, socially influential roles? It will be interesting to monitor how the place of bookshops within their respective communities develops over the following months and years. They certainly have the potential to become “third places” in the truest sense of the phrase and while the advantages to the stores concerned may not be financially immediate, their influence over the wider community has the potential to become very strong.

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Sanderson, C. (1999), “Doing the grounds”, The Bookseller, No. 4904, pp. 24-6. Satterthwaite, A. (2001), Going Shopping, Yale University Press, London. Schiffman, L.G. and Kanuk, L.L. (2004), Consumer Behaviour, 8th ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Smith, K. (1999), “The bookshop as community space”, The Bookseller, No. 4892, p. 31. Solomon, M.R. (2002), Consumer Behaviour, 5th ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Spector, R. (2000), Amazon.com; Get Big Fast, Random House, London. Stallard, P. (1999), “Consumption and identity in the world of the book”, PhD thesis, Sheffield University, Sheffield. Tauber, E. (1972), “Why do people shop?”, Journal of Marketing, October, pp. 46-9. Thompson, J.L. (2001), Strategic Management, 4th ed., Thomson Learning, London. Underhill, P. (1999), Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Orion Business, London. Watson, A.F. (2002), “Targeting non-book buyers”, The Bookseller, No. 5036, pp. 24-7. Woodruffe-Burton, H., Eccles, S. and Elliott, R. (2001), “Towards a theory of shopping: a holistic framework”, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 256-66. Further reading Spillane, M. (2000), “Living the brand”, The Bookseller, No. 4939, pp. 23-5. About the authors Audrey Laing is a PhD research student and ad-hoc Lecturer within the Publishing Department at The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her thesis, entitled “Bookselling culture & consumer behaviour: marketing strategies and responses, in traditional and online environments” emanated from many years spent working in the book trade. It aims to explore how bookshop users respond to current marketing strategies being followed by UK chains, focusing in particular upon newer US inspired initiatives such as coffee shops and browsing areas. The research – funded by The Robert Gordon University Research Development Initiative – goes on to examine how the strategies used are adapted to suit an online bookselling environment. Audrey has previously published on the subject of the UK book trade and the challenges they face with regard to expanding the market. Audrey Laing is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: [email protected] Jo Royle is Senior Lecturer and Subject Leader for Communication and Publishing within the Aberdeen Business School at the Robert Gordon University and is Undergraduate Programme Manager in the field. She lectures on electronic publishing and consumer publishing at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels; and has supervised and carried out research in these areas, and gained related external funding from sources including the Arts and Humanities Research Board and British National Bibliography Research Fund. In particular this research has focused on the role of branding for consumer publishers on the internet and change management issues associated with multimedia publishing for children. She recently gained internal funding from the RGU Research Development Initiative and it is from this that the research on branding and the community in bookselling is progressing. She was previously Editorial Manager of an independent consumer publishing house.

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