Years ago it wasn't strange for a publisher to have a retail presence—e.g., Scribner, Doubleday and Harcourt—but with the exception of Rizzoli (which drastically reduced its store locations), gone are the days when publishers showcased their wares in a storefront. Then along came Chronicle Books.
Nearly two years ago, the developer of a Sony Entertainment Center called the Metreon (a cross between a tourist attraction and a marketing mall) approached the San Francisco—based national publisher to stock a glorified kiosk with its books. Now a commercial success, the Metreon asked Chronicle if it wanted to expand the space and take over the management of the store. That is just what Chronicle did, celebrating the change with a reopening party April 18.
"We think more about branding than most other publishers," said Jack Jensen, Chronicle's president and publisher. The Metreon, located on Yerba Buena Park adjacent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and just two blocks from Chronicle Books' headquarters), is a sleekly designed playground of brand-name food and entertainment. Chronicle Books Store is flanked by a Starbucks on one side and a 15-screen movie theater on the other. Metreon is also home to the largest IMAX theater in the country, and features interactive stores such as Sony PlayStation and the Discovery Channel. Chronicle's bestsellers, like The Beatles Anthology, the Worst Case Scenario series and Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine titles, are especially suited for branded retail space.
Jensen said the company worried that this move might appear to place it in competition with its retail partners. "That's not what this is about," he assured PW. "Basically, it is a marketing effort. It gives us the chance to learn more about how consumers react to our books."
Chronicle's marketing manager, Alicia Bergin, explained that the store is not expected to be a big money maker for the publisher. She will oversee the store's operation, including two full-time employees, two part-timers and visiting staffers from Chronicle's various publishing departments.
Is that a marketing executive behind the counter? Could be. "We think it's nice for our editors and customer-service people in particular to have that kind of knowledge," said Bergin. "It gives them the opportunity to watch their books sell and see what works and what doesn't."
While Chronicle does not plan to become a bookseller in the general sense, the Metreon store is one experiment it is willing to conduct for at least the length of its three-year lease.
