Tim Way, formerly of Family Christian Stores, spoke with Christian Retailing Guest Editor Pamela Clements for our October 2012 issue. Please see the print or digital issue for the first part of this Q&A.

What is the most efficient way for retailers to be aware of the broad range of new products?

That's simple: Pay attention during product demonstrations. Frankly, I don't understand how independents do it, particularly since many publishers no longer send sales reps to visit the independent stores. But I would suggest that you read through trade magazines and look at what is being advertised. Also talk to publishers and pay attention to what is being promoted. I always asked publishers straight out what was going to be the hot titles. I wanted to know what they thought were their best releases for the next season.

The publisher has to be wise and realize the retailer has limited resources in open-to-buy and retail space. Therefore, not every title will be treated the same. Everyone has to pay attention to what will turn those dollars for both the publisher and the retailer.

How can retailers tailor their stores to meet the needs of their particular region?

If you are an independent bookseller, this is a no brainer. You pay attention to your market and make sure your inventory selection reflects your customers' needs and desires. If you are part of a chain, it is different. Most chains have the benefit of having outstanding I.T. systems, but their individual stores must be communicating to make sure they have what they need for their customer. The buyer at the headquarters has to rely on their stores helping them out. Stores have to be able to say, "Why are you sending me this?"

And then it is vital to effectively use the systems that are in place. It is common sense that if one store sells 10 of something and another sells none, don't send the store that can't move it any more of that title, but keep that store where it is hot well-stocked. This applies to both older titles and new.

How do retailers successfully create a product mix that will grow their reach in the community?

I think you need to take a look at what is out there and then take some risks. Some of the things are really basic to all stores, but there are some categories that may be more market specific. For example, we knew from surveys that we had a strong Catholic customer base, so we made sure to buy gifts and books that appealed to that base. At first there was some guesswork being done with the help of the Catholic suppliers, but we started by selling Catholic Bibles and gifts. Then, since that was working, we expanded into books and other product lines. That is not going to work for everyone, but the stores that make up their mind that they are going to appeal to the ecumenical marketplace will do well.

We found that our Catholic customers were already buying general books and gifts in our stores, but had to go online to get their Catholic products. We were missing sales and not meeting the needs of our existing customers. This change let us take advantage of a customer base that was already shopping in our stores, and reach new customers too.

What role do covers play?

While I think that people do buy books by the cover, that is not always true. The cover on the Bonhoeffer book, for example, was far too academic in appearance to typically gain traction in our market, yet it did. People bought it in spite of the cover. Good press and good word-of-mouth can overcome an average cover.

Again, One Thousand Gifts is one of those examples of the cover helping to sell the book. But what in the end made it a best-seller was the content.

What one thing do you wish retailers would do differently in order to be more successful?

Retailers would be wise to use pricing as a promotional tool both through in-store promotions and coupons. I think a combination of the two is best.

Your competition is not the bookseller down the street. It is the online retailer, and they are aggressive price-wise, plus they have a much broader inventory, including used books. If you are a one-trick pony and you are up against a competitor who is using multiple levers, you are going to lose that battle.

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