Attendees trekked to the ninth annual Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition (CIROBE) in gorgeously unseasonable weather for the windy city, with a record number of exhibitors and booksellers streaming into the Hilton Chicago & Towers November 12 for a weekend of serious buying and selling. "The show was extremely successful," cofounder Brad Jonas of Powell's Bookstores observed. "Everyone was thrilled. The only people who were unhappy were those who didn't have any books." Marshall Smith, the other half of the organizational duo, added, "We had 1,176 attendees, 100 more than last year. More than 500 exhibitor badges were produced." Smith also noted that many international companies were present, including buyers from China, Vietnam, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. British exhibitors, such as Grange Books PLC and the Bridge Book Co. Ltd., were there in force as well.
"A lot of new people were here," Jonas told PW. "We had a tremendous amount of new energy." Smith said that the show has "become an organic thing that we don't really control. It has taken on a life of its own. Each year has its own flavor and emphasis. This year, straight remainders were emphasized." Smith thinks one of the reasons the show continues to grow and prosper is that it has stayed focused. "We don't want seminars, panels and distractions like that," he noted. "Everyone is here to concentrate on doing business."
Nothing could be more remote from the hubbub of BEA than the silence and shuffling of papers at CIROBE. The aisles were filled with booksellers bowed down by tote bags stuffed with catalogues as publisher representatives swayed slowly beside them taking orders on clipboards. Everyone knows quantities are limited and the best titles go fast. Watching the scene on the first day, Marshall Smith observed, "It's amazing the business transacted here. Sixty million dollars in books at cost will be exchanged at this show."
Retailers PW talked to were pleased with exhibitors' offerings. Carol Horne, manager of Harvard Bookstore, Cambridge, Mass., said after the show's first day, "I think it's a terrific show. But it's always a serious buying show." Horne wasn't buying inventory for Christmas, however. Her thoughts were on sales for the winter months. "It's like Filene's Basement. There's just a ton of stuff, and you have to search for the gems."
David Schwartz, owner of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, Milwaukee, Wis., was observed at the Texas Bookman booth searching for illustrated titles for Christmas sales, inventory he needs to jack up his average unit price for bargain books for the season.
Richard Howarth, owner of Square Books, Oxford, Miss., and president of ABA, said, "It was a good show, but it's always a good show. Even so, I don't think there were as many big books this year for some reason. But we were plenty satisfied. We buy a lot of obscure academic titles at CIROBE that we wouldn't buy at full price because it would be too much of a risk. The graduate students and faculty who are part of our university community market really appreciate them." Howarth went on to say that this year the store did business with two vendors new to them, American Book Co. and Tartan Book Sales (a division of Brodart).
"A lot of independents use remainders to give depth to any niches they are already focusing on," he commented. "It's a great way for a store to enhance its offerings and distinguish itself from the competition." As far as the freight issue for the often weighty remainder shipments is concerned, Howarth explained "the beauty of remainders is that they are net priced, so you can build freight costs into the price and easily earn it back. There is great flexibility in retail pricing."
Both chain buyers and independent booksellers were everywhere, apparently equally represented. "We keep this a level playing field," Marshall Smith remarked. "Everyone has a fair chance at the inventory on sale. No one gets preferential treatment, no matter how big they are."
Exhibitors were upbeat about the business written and contacts made at the show. Jeff Press of World Publications told PW, "We wrote more business at CIROBE '99 than any show in the 15-year history of World Publications. There were often more than 100 people at one time in our breakout room." Press noted that his strongest categories were former bestsellers and World's own promotional title, The Twentieth Century. "We sold out the entire 130,000 print run," he said. Press feels the show can be improved by adding more exhibit time. "Why not a full day Friday?" he suggested.
Judy Terrell, representing Christian promotional publisher Barbour & Co., reported, "We wrote some good orders and made lots of good contacts." Robin Moody, president of Daedalus Books, which will be shipping from its new warehouse in Columbia, Md., this season, observed after the first day that "the show just seems to be getting better and better." Craig Cohen, associate publisher of PowerHouse Books, an art and photography publisher, said, "We sold all of our skids of remainders in the first hour of the show." Glenn Chase, sales and marketing manager of Aperture, remarked, "As always, CIROBE was very productive for us. As a small publisher, it gives us an opportunity to meet all our overstock customers in one place."
