Beginning this fall, the Hudson Group will add and/or expand Spanish-language and African-American sections at 50 of its bookstores located at 10 airports across the country. To give the sections more distinct identities, they will be branded with the names of two of the best-known independents specializing in those areas: Librería Martínez Books and Art Gallery, which has two stores in Santa Ana and a third in Lynwood, Calif.; and Hue-Man Bookstore and Café in New York City.
"We're getting back to our independent past," said Sara Hinckley, v-p of book purchasing and promotions at Hudson, whose holdings include former Waterstone's and Book Corner stores. In addition to signage highlighting the Librería Martínez and Hue-Man names, the Spanish-language areas will be further personalized with pictures of bookseller Rueben Martínez; Hue-Man owners Marva Allen and Rita Ewing may be featured on the African-American sections. "We feel strongly that the work that Librería Martínez and Hue-Man are doing in their markets and communities is important," Hinckley said. "We're very excited about this branding initiative."
For their part, Allen and Ewing agreed, characterizing the alliance as "a forward-thinking strategy." "We thought it would be a great way for us to get exposure and for them to penetrate our market," said Ewing. "You have to meet your customers where they are," Allen added. Although many of the details are still being worked out, Ewing and Allen anticipate setting up Hue-Man sections with both adult and children's African-American titles in Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles and Texas airports to start.
As for Martínez, the new branding effort is an extension of a relationship he entered into earlier this year when he partnered with Hudson on a winning bid for three stores at John Wayne/Orange County International Airport. Martínez owns a 15% interest in the stores, which will carry a large selection of Spanish-language books and magazines when they open later this fall. Other airports likely to offer a Líbrería Martínez assortment include Miami, Houston, Dallas and New York.
At some airports, like Los Angeles International Airport, which has stocked a limited selection of Spanish books for the past year, Martínez has already begun working to increase the title base. "I gave them a list of 200 of our bestsellers," said Martínez, who has also encouraged Hudson to add window signage indicating libros en español. "Travelers who read and write in Spanish will go right past, if they don't think there are any books for them."
The branding initiative comes as Hudson Booksellers is preparing to close its New Hampshire buying office and open a new corporate office in Marietta, Ga., to be headed by Hinckley. Two new buyers have been hired to join her and buyer/sales analyst Anne Krinkie in Marietta. Ed White, former director of book operations for Hastings Entertainment, has been named senior buyer.
