Why You Should Have a Book Club Display
Sometimes display space can be at a premium, so dedicating square footage to showcase book club selections can be considered a luxury. But a book club display doesn’t have to take up a lot of room, and the resulting sales are worth the space.
I’m sure you’ve noticed in your stores that customers will buy a book club selection even if they have no intention of attending the book club discussion. One reason for this is that a bookstore can be a daunting place, and some customers do not feel comfortable engaging with booksellers. Choosing a book club selection is a safe route, because the perception is that the books have been vetted by committee and popular opinion.
These customers also feel that by buying a book club selection, they are somehow in-the-know and will be reading what others are reading. Even if they do not attend, they are still rewarded with a sense of belonging.
As I mentioned, book club displays do not have to take up a lot of space. If fact, they do not have to be 3-dimensional nor contain actual books. Sometimes displaying selections on a poster on a flat wall is enough. Or list selections in a take-away brochure. Just make sure that any paper promotional materials are available in PDF or other digital image format for ease of sharing, posting and tweeting.
Finally, one display strategy that takes up no additional space is to draw attention to a book club selection shelved in its normal location by inserting a “book club bookmark” in the book. The bookmark serves the same purpose as a sticker on the front, but is more visible to a book browser.
