Imagine a resort bookstore that functions like an accordion, its staff and inventory shrinking by as much as two-thirds during the long off-season, then expanding again after six months, in the same cycle year after year, all so that the store can stay open even when, judging from a strictly financial point of view, business doesn't warrant it.
In fact, many other retailers on Martha's Vineyard, the Massachusetts summer vacation island whose population swells to 105,000 in summer from 15,000 in winter, close during the winter. But serving the community—even during the long, quiet winter—is a key mission of Bunch of Grapes Bookstore. Thus, using some Yankee ingenuity and business acumen, owner Ann Nelson maintains a basic staff, stays open seven days a week, stages events year-round and has become what Island resident David McCullough describes as "high on the list of what makes life so appealing here."
It's quite a balancing act: in the summer, when Bunch of Grapes does the bulk of its business, the store stocks as many as 60,000 titles and has 26 employees. In the first months of each new year, the title count goes as low as 20,000 and there are 11 employees.
One measure of the contrast between winter and summer: "In January, five copies of a book may be a bestseller, while it takes a 150 to 200 to be a bestseller in the summer," Nelson notes.
The cash-flow pressures are enormous. Summer business has to bolster expenses during the lean winter months. In the fall, the store is busy returning titles that haven't sold. In spring, it's bulking up for the crucial summer season. "We have a rolling inventory," Nelson explains. "We have rolling returns. It never stops."
Nelson adds, "I've always believed the way to run a store is not to own the inventory. You have to watch dating deals and keep returning." But that doesn't mean Bunch of Grapes is a revolving door, returning much of what it has ordered. While the store experiments, its ordering is very careful.
Ron Koltnow of the Random House Adult Trade Division attests that in the past several years, the store has "increased sales while reducing returns.... Last year, Bunch of Grapes had a 16% increase in net sales with a 5% reduction in returns."
AOL Time Warner Book Group officially calls Bunch of Grapes "one of most maintenance-free accounts."
Manager and frontlist buyer Robby Bick notes that the store keeps returns "within industry standards of 15% or less."
The store tends to make large initial orders. As a result, "we probably do less business with wholesalers than other stores our size," Nelson says. (All deliveries take longer to the island because they must go via ferry.)
"We take advantage of backlist deals with delayed billing," explains assistant manager Dailis Merrill, who handles backlist buying and some frontlist, as well as reorders. Still, the store also does some business with Ingram, Koen and Bookazine.
July and August is intense. (December sales, most stores' bread and butter, are about a third of July and August.) As Bick observes, in the summer, the store "does the business of a medium-sized Borders." And it accomplishes those levels of sales, he proudly notes, with just 5,000 square feet of space, no music section and no café. "In the summer, we are one of the busiest stores in the country." (In the early years, the store had sales of less than $150,000 a year, Nelson says. For the last five years, it's topped $2 million annually.)
Independent commission rep Nanci McCrackin notes that the "compressed and crazy summer season requires two things: a gut instinct to buy certain titles deep upfront and a fast-on-one's-feet reaction to keep the store stocked once the starting gun has been shot. Robby seems to manage both chores with style."
Island Livin'
Living on and operating a bookstore on Martha's Vineyard, a 45-minute ferry ride from the "mainland," is challenging and offers a mix of advantages and disadvantages.
There's camaraderie among Islanders and a directness that comes from living together in tight quarters but far from others. "Here you have be able to live with yourself, because you can't be anything but yourself," Nelson says. Like residents in any small town, people know a lot about each other—and aren't shy about asking. Judging from a recent visit, the most common initial greetings among Islanders heading to the mainland on the ferry are, "Where are you going?" and "What are you up to?"
Residents are a mix, not just wealthy summer people from Boston and New York. There are lifelong Islanders, many of whom fish or farm and whose families go back centuries (Nelson herself is a seventh-generation Islander); tourists of all kinds; a famous Africa- American summer community in Oak Bluffs; writers and other creative people. Natives often feel torn between staying on the island and seeing the wider world. Still, many of the store's customers are the "high-powered politicians and finance people" of legend. Nelson comments that "their beach reads are not all Danielle Steel and Maeve Binchy."
In fact, during the summer, when rentals tend to go by the week, meeting the needs of the ever-changing clientele is tricky, and much depends on the weather: "If we don't have rain for a week, I do a rain dance," Nelson says. Ideally, there is one rainy day a week, enough to drive people into the store for something to do. However, rain "day after day" is not good. Nelson explains: "The first time in, customers are happy with what they find. By the third visit of the week, they want very specific titles that, for example, will help them do better in business. At that point, we hear things like, 'What do you mean you don't have it?' "
Another complication: despite its rural setting, Martha's Vineyard is no low-rent zone. Just as the store has "big-city business" in the summer, Bick says, it pays "big-city rent." The store also faces pressures because "everything" is costlier on the island, including food and rent. Thus, the store pays employees "probably $3 more an hour than Barnes & Noble would," Bick continues.
Bick's Mandate
While Nelson focuses on financial and planning issues, she delegates much of the day-to-day management of the store to Bick, who has worked at Bunch of Grapes for the past five years. As Bick laughingly puts it: "She lets me do pretty much what I want, as long as it doesn't cost money." For her part, Nelson calls Bick the store's "visionary."
Bick has 20 years of experience in urban bookstores, having worked at St. Mark's Bookshop in New York City and operated his own store, Bick's Books, in Washington, D.C., as well as having managed three Borders outlets. "I'm used to a more academic environment, and year-round," he notes.
One of several goals he has had at Bunch of Grapes is to bolster the store's off-season presence. To be "the bookstore of record" on the island, he has built up the events program, both for its own sake and to be able to lure more writers. "It's easy to get authors in the summer," Bick explains, but not so the rest of the year. "If I can go to publishers and tell them that every Friday during the year we have an event and draw 20 to 25 people, that helps us get winter authors."
Bick has also tried to make the store more "academically challenging," he says. "Previous buyers got too comfortable," he continues. "They knew the market well, but they didn't take chances." Although the store has maintained its rough parameters of inventory—some 20,000—30,000 in the winter up to 40,000—60,000 in the summer—there has been an increase in "depth and breadth," Bick says.
"Coming here fresh, I wasn't tied down by history and could take my ideas about bookselling and see what worked and what didn't work. I would never say, 'That won't work on Martha's Vineyard.' "
Nonetheless, Bick readily says, "The bottom line remains trying to find the right books for our clientele. But I firmly believe that that does sometimes mean leading our customers to new authors, as well as providing ample representation of titles we know will work."
Ann Nelson comments that Bick has "expanded the base of literature available on esoteric subjects." This is important because "hardcore literature" is very popular in the off season. "It still sells in the summer," but is a smaller portion of overall sales.
Bick and the staff have experimented with a variety of categories. The computer section was built up slowly year by year, but has now plateaued. "We found where to stop," Bick explains. The art section was expanded, but "didn't work," so was cut back. African-American titles were moved to a new section, and the spirituality and religion section was expanded.
In March, the store created a current events section. Bick notes that many of the titles were in stock already, but in a case of "shifting resources," these were moved into a central place. "It's less a matter of what we have than how we present it," Bick notes.
The store has added several shelves of out-of-print books on Martha's Vineyard topics.
The store moved the very important sailing section downstairs and gave it more space. Some residents, most of whom love sailing, misunderstood the move, and an editorial in one of the local newspapers commented on it. "We got more press out of that than closing my store in Washington got," Bick says. "It's a very different world here." Still, the move of the sailing section was important because it allowed the store to be more flexible with religion and history.
Store Story
Bunch of Grapes is in a two-story building with a second floor that has a dramatically high ceiling. The front windows offer beautiful views of the Vineyard Haven harbor, where the ferry docks.
In part because of recent construction on Main Street, which includes the installation of a sewer system and the burying of telephone and electric lines, Bunch of Grapes is making some changes in the store. New carpeting is the greatest need. At the same time, the store is installing new shelving in the front and moving the cash register from the center of the first floor to the wall that is on the right as one enters the store. Several display tables will be added in the front. The store is also adding glass shelves to the window displays. A new awning will appear soon. Ann Nelson says the story has a four-five year plan to refixture the entire store.
Book Sense 76 titles are up front in the store, along with the staff selection display, which Bick calls "one of the happy successes." All employees are encouraged to suggest titles, which are discounted 20%. They also appear on the store's Web site and in the newspaper.
Sidelines account for about 10% of the store's revenues. Sidelines buyer Jane Curelli says she tries to buy "a variety of items" that appeal to the mix of clientele, from wealthy summer people who "don't look at price" to customers who actually look at the tags. Among the more popular items are journals ("a lot of people like to keep journals"), particularly for teens; sketch books; "fun" invitations, "since many people have parties"; products that appeal to the African-American community in Oak Bluffs; and "anything to do with cats and dogs." Visitors and residents also like games and puzzles, especially those with Martha's Vineyard or maritime themes. ("You could sell anything if it said Martha's Vineyard on it.")
"Space is an issue," Curelli continues. "I try to get as much into the space I have, especially in summer."
A surprise bestselling sideline is a set of $1 "nerd glasses" that the store calls "unofficial Harry Potter glasses," a marketing approach suggested by the rep selling them. "We've probably sold a thousand of them," she exclaims.
Eventful Events
Most events are held on the second floor; large events are held at the nearby Katharine Cornell Theatre, named for the actress, who was a Vineyard Haven resident. Events coordinator Ann Bassett observes that the store has to work hard at drawing crowds. "We compete with everything that Martha's Vineyard has to offer. If there's an afternoon signing and it's sunny, forget it." As a result, all events are held in the evening.
The store has an extensive events program in the summer, usually five a week, any of which often attract several hundred people, and turns down requests from authors. Last summer, two of the most popular speakers were Art Buchwald, who lives in Vineyard Haven, and Linda Greenwald, author of The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very Small Island. In addition, some 450 people came for a reading by Stephen Carter, author of The Emperor of Ocean Park, at the Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. A regular is Alan Dershowitz, who "has a book every summer." Mike Wallace also lives in town and has spoken at the store.
David McCullough is "probably the biggest author," Nelson says. "Whenever he has a book, it's a blockbuster." (The store has sold more than 4,000 copies of his most recent work, John Adams.) McCullough is "very generous," Nelson says, having special orders and corporate sales go through the store. The store keeps extra copies of his books for him to sign in the basement; in the past few years, he has come by often to affix his John Hancock to John Adams.
Other authors who have appeared at Bunch of Grapes, many of whom have houses on the island, include Walter Cronkite, Dorothy West, Judy Blume, Carly Simon, John Hersey, Alice Hoffman, Ann Rivers Siddons, Barbara Kingsolver and William Styron.
Popular local authors include Philip Craig, who did three events last year and writes a mystery series set on Martha's Vineyard (the next is A Vineyard Killing: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, which appears in June), as well as Cynthia Riggs, whose titles include Deadly Nightshade: A Martha'sVineyard Mystery and The Cranefly Orchid Murders; Susan Wilson, who every year has a new book (Beauty, Hawke's Cove and The Fortune Teller's Daughter); and children's book illustrator Leslie Baker.
The store also encourages authors with local connections—one definition is "a mailing list of 40"—to have events off-site. Bunch of Grapes recommends a catered cocktail party, sometimes in the afternoon; the store helps with as many as three a day, sending someone with a cash box and credit card machine. At such events, Nelson notes, "People feel more obligated to buy a book." She adds, "It's a party atmosphere, but we do a good business."
Sometimes the store hosts a group authors' event. During last summer's Tisbury Street Fair, Bunch of Grapes held Meet the Author Day—customers could come in and chat with 18 authors, who had staggered schedules and were available for signings.
Off-season, the crowds at events are much smaller. Still, the store holds an event every Friday. "In the winter," says Bassett, a six-year veteran of the store, "we offer the spotlight and platform to people in the community who are doing interesting things." For example, one recent speaker was a local retired doctor who writes for one of the island's newspapers; he talked about books that had influenced his life. Another was an art teacher in her 80s who had a recommended reading list.
The store publicizes events in a variety of ways, including putting brochures on a freestanding, moveable sign on the sidewalk in front of the store. (Bunch of Grapes had to get special permission for the sign.) Aided by publisher co-op money, the store also runs large display ads in the two local newspapers in the summer. It also promotes events through the two local radio stations, stations on nearby Cape Cod and works with "all schools, libraries and senior centers."
The effort is to place the bookstore "at the center of the community," as Bassett put it. "I think more politics is discussed in the bookstore than at town hall." She also notes that many customers not only ask about titles but like to talk about books they have read. "Reading a book is a solitary thing, but talking about it is exciting."
As a result, in the past several years, the store has hatched several reading groups. After the holidays each year, it issues a call for interested readers to meet at the store. The store hosts the reading groups until the summer season begins, and then helps them arrange to meet either at a member's house or at a local library. Usually they start with 12—14 members and distill down to about eight. Considering the high level of education of many of the locals, the groups pick titles that are "not easy reads," Bassett says. The store nurtured and weaned one group this year and three last year.
Other events have included afternoon servings of eggnog during the four days leading up to Christmas as well as caroling on the Friday before Christmas. Recently, the store held a game of Jeopardy, with all questions based on books. As a followup, Bunch of Grapes may try a Celebrity Jeopardy, pitting several writers against one another, and possibly creating a tournament.
To encourage volunteerism and be a source of information about volunteer efforts and opportunities on Martha's Vineyard, Bunch of Grapes earlier this year held an event at which some 20 volunteer groups came and circulated. The store displayed a table of books on volunteering.
Adapting a "mainland" idea, Bunch of Grapes has also been involved in the One Book, One Island program, which is in its second year and is coordinated by Bunch of Grapes, the island's six town libraries and the other bookstore (Bickerton and Ripley Books in Edgartown). (Plans are just beginning for this year's event.)
Last year, the group chose Spartina by John Casey, about a man who is building a boat in his backyard, for adults and Holes by Louis Sachar for young readers. Although Spartina is set on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, the story resonates on Martha's Vineyard, Bassett says, because "everyone knows someone like that."
The group held 10 days of events in the fall, several of which were sponsored by Bunch of Grapes, including a lecture by Casey at the Katharine Cornell Theatre and a panel on fishing issues. Other events included a boatyard tour and discussions of sea chanteys, marshes and spartina grass. The store sold copies of the books at a 30% discount.
Because Bunch of Grapes feels some events are "worthy of a larger audience," it is talking with a production studio about recording some of them to air on the island's three local-access cable stations.
Teamwork and Empowerment
On of the most striking aspects of Bunch of Grapes is the sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the staff.
Ann Bassett says, "We do everything collaboratively. The store is all about teamwork from beginning to end. Everyone asks, 'What can I do?' "
Employees are also given great responsibility and a sense of ownership. Consider the example of Avia Moore, a young bookseller who specializes in children's and YA titles. She first worked for the store during the summer of 2001, then returned in 2002 and is working a full year at Bunch of Grapes before returning to school this fall. "I love this store," she explains. "It's the only reason I am back on the island."
Nelson and Bick, Moore says, "allow the staff to be part of the way the store is run." One striking example: recently, Moore reorganized the picture book wall. She hadn't liked the mix of faceouts and spineout titles ("with stock down in the winter, there weren't enough faceouts to hold spineouts," she says) and made a proposal to change the section to manager Bick. He offered several suggestions in return, then told her to go ahead. She spent an afternoon making the top four shelves faceouts, with one shelf of spineout titles. In summer, as stock increases again, a shelf or two of faceouts can be converted to spineouts.
Another project Moore undertook recently was an elaborate sign in the center of the children's section on behalf of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Crowned by a broom painted silver, the sign reads "Flying Your Way... June 21" and features a daily countdown.
Like many Bunch of Grapes booksellers, Moore enjoys handselling, which, she notes, is especially important in the children's section. (She has visited many bookstores in the U.S. and Canada, and says that for a general store, Bunch of Grapes has one of the best children's sections she has ever seen. For that matter, Moore praises the staff, which she calls an "extremely eclectic group of people with different sorts of backgrounds, personalities and interests. A group of people like this comes together only rarely.")
Another bookseller, Chelsea Hoffman, is typical of many Vineyard natives. She grew up on the island, left to go to boarding school and college, worked for a short while afterward, including a stint at a Borders in Washington, D.C., and has now returned to the island. At Bunch of Grapes, she says, "I have a better picture of the business." Because she is involved in returns and buying, she has learned more about publishers, including relative quality and the specialties of small presses. She also notes that in the slow winter season, once everything is done, she is sometimes able to read in the store. She browses titles she wouldn't read on her own, which "leads to better title awareness."
She calls Bunch of Grapes, a place she has been coming to since she was a child, "the hub of island life."
Alaina Darr has had some 15 years experience working in bookstores, including Crown and Barnes & Noble. Like Hoffman, she enjoys Bunch of Grapes in part because, as she says, "I like to understand the whole process" of a bookstore. She prefers to work on the selling floor but also fills in in shipping and receiving and does displays. "I can learn more about the business here than I could anywhere," she notes. The chain-store veteran adds, "There's nothing I have to e-mail corporate about—corporate is right here."
Like Moore, Darr has come up with several ideas that she has implemented, including theme window displays. The first was a Halloween window. The most recent contains titles concerning Iraq, Bush and terrorism, which Bick later suggested needed some updating. ("I know that when he points something out, he's really considered it," she comments.)
Staff Stuff
Bick notes that it is difficult to find staff, which adds to the pressure to pay more. (The store also pays for half of health insurance for individuals and contributes to a 401(k) program for employees.) He admits that the store, like most booksellers, requires a lot of its employees: "They have to be well-read, well-educated people," he explains. Unfortunately, well-educated young people who grew up on Martha's Vineyard tend to leave to see the world.
Despite difficulties finding qualified employees, the year-round staff at Bunch of Grapes has been "exceedingly stable" in the past five years, Bick notes. He estimates that they are a few years older and more mature than at "other stores I've worked with."
During training and on an ongoing basis, Bick says he tries to promote handselling by the booksellers, as well as the idea that "everything booksellers do in the store is customer service. Customer service is not just talking with customers. It's also everything from shelving to washing windows so people can see inside."
He also aims to instill in booksellers the idea that "the authors we carry are our customers also. Even if I don't particularly like an author, my job is to represent him or her to the community as best I can. I try to get people to get into a constant relationship with authors, books and community."
Future Projects
Because Bunch of Grapes cannot grow physically, the store has to look to other ways to grow, Bick says. As Nelson puts it, "We all aspire to be like Joyce Meskis [owner of the Tattered Cover in Denver], but with real estate what it is, unless you own it, it's very difficult. For any store, publishing, whether of journals or out-of-print books, has to be the future at a certain point."
Already Bunch of Grapes is looking into publishing. There are "a lot of books about island are out-of-print," Bick observes. "Maybe we could sell 100 here and 50 around the country." He says the economics aren't ideal yet. Based on Bunch of Grapes' record, he and Nelson are bound to find a way to make such a venture work financially.
