BK at Banana Republic?

Well, well, well....Publisher's Weekly has struck my brain-bone yet again, this time with an article on a fancy new book-selling chain. The 'Retail Nation' section of this week's PW features an interesting article on Bookmarc, the new book-selling (and publishing) brand of the Marc Jacobs fashion empire.

Now, I had heard about Bookmarc stores popping up, but it wasn't until I read this article that I understood what the shops were all about. Marc Jacobs has opened Bookmarc stores on both coasts, as well as added branded Bookmarc sections to a handful of MJ stores both in the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, stand-alone Bookmarc stores are in the works for Washington, D.C. and Shanghai. These shops function under the mentality that, "Fashion is about lifestyle. Anything can be fashion," and, as such, books fall into that category. The store is filled with both paperback and hardcover titles, most by and about rock stars, cultural revolutions, erotica, fashion, art, photography, and history. The man behind Bookmarc, Jacobs's business partner Robert Duffy, says that Bookmarc is "fun, and its profitable."

Fun and profitable, you say? Where have I heard this before? Oh yes, only a few days ago, in a related article in the The New York Times! 'Beyond Bookstores', published February 27th, tackles similar subject matter, but broadens the landscape. Using trendy Los Angeles boutique Kitson to illustrate a theme, the NYT addresses a growing trend in book-selling: non-book retail. "In a town that is all about flash, Kitson is finding a surprising source of revenue that is not from its fashionable shoes or accessories. It is from books." And Kitson isn't alone. "A wide range of stores better known for their apparel, food and fishing reels have been adding books. Anthropologie has increased the number of titles it carries...Coldwater Creek, Lowe's, Bass Pro Shops and even Cracker Barrel are adding new books." (FYI, I checked - you can get MadLibs at Cracker Barrel, a winning combo if ever there was one. )

So, what's the deal with these new book-buying outlets? Both articles point tellingly to the failings of traditional booksellers.

A big part of what drove Bookmarc's creation was Robert Duffy's frustration with seeing so many bookstores close and with being able to find content online more easily than in print. This sentiment is echoed - and further emphasized - in The New York Times. "Publishers have stocked books in nonbook retailers for decades. In the last year, though, publishers have increased their efforts as the two largest bookstore chains have changed course." As smaller shops close and big stores like Barnes & Noble dedicate more and more real estate to e-readers, games, and other multi-media products, they lose significant power as traditional sales channels. "Having a physical outlet for books is extraordinarily important for. While online and e-book sales are huge channels, lesser-known books can get lost...if they do not have a physical presence to spur interest."

Indeed, interest has been spurred, and to the benefit of publishers, retailers and, I would argue, all readers. For Perseus Book Group, sales at nontraditional retailers beat out sales at Borders for the first time in 2010. Michael Jacobs, CEO of Abrams, says that nontraditional retailers made up over 15% of their business in 2010 and he expects that number will grow to 25% in the next few years. Big publishers like Random House and Houghton Mifflin are now seeking specialty retailers as well, all of which is welcome business for stores.

The books are profitable for retailers, as they tend to drive other purchases. Patti Price, Lowe's Senior VP of Merchandising, says books on subjects like cooking and home projects "inspire and and inform customers to purchase goods that will allow them to...complete home improvement projects." Very clever, Patti!

While I have a negative gut reaction to anything that harms independent bookstores, as a literature lover and publishing professional, my loyalty lies with 'the reader' on this one. And, as such, I think these are exciting developments. The more we thrust books into all areas of the community, the better, and we might as well go where the people already are. Placement in popular stores can drastically widen the audience for books, appealing to someone who wouldn't necessarily browse bookstores, or even Amazon.

What say you? Do you support the sale of books at nontraditional outlets? More importantly, could this work for Berrett-Koehler? Use the comments section of this blog post to let us know where we should start selling our titles.