Bookseller at Annie Bloom’s… author… male model? Jeff Shaffer (also the author of the Shelf Talker column for this blog) and his new book, Who Am I Today?, are featured in an article by Anna Marum for The Oregonian. Congratulations, Jeff! We know you won’t forget the little people– or all the readers.
It occurred to me recently that the survival of independent bookstores in the US has a lot in common with the Stars Wars saga. Think of it like this: a ragtag band of quirky, talented and determined individuals is battling a massive, powerful opponent that wants to dominate and control the universe of book commerce. The …
From behind the sales counter I have a direct line of sight to the shelves holding new releases and two titles always catch my eye these days. Actually it’s not the titles I notice but the distinctive front covers. Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton and Duty by Robert Gates each feature prominent photos of the …
One fact of life for a neighborhood bookseller is that we can’t satisfy all the needs of every single customer every day. Statistically it’s impossible, and most of the shoppers at Annie Bloom’s understand and accept this reality. I’ve only been insulted once by an unsatisfied shopper. The person came up to me and asked, “Do you …
In all honesty, I thought Dr. Who was on his last legs about fifteen years ago. Imagine how chagrined I am by his current popularity, which can be witnessed regularly each time one of his books gets rung up at the sales counter. I sometimes think it might be handy to have the Doctor on our …
Two women recently came into Annie Bloom’s and approached me with a request that you don’t hear very often these days. “Do you have a phonebook?” one of them asked. In fact, we DO have phonebooks available behind the counter, both white and yellow pages, although until that moment I’d never had a reason to …
Annie Bloom’s bookseller, author, nwbooklovers columnist, and humorist Jeffrey Shaffer was featured on Oregon Arts Beat. Follow the link to watch for snippets of his live comedy, a mini-tour of his bookstore, a side-by-side comparison of store cat Annie and her bookmark depiction, and more.
I often think about the similarities between an independent bookstore and a good neighborhood restaurant. Hunger can be physical or intellectual. Sometimes a customer strides in with a specific request. The book title, author, and other information is written down and the transaction is quickly completed. It’s like sitting at a table and ordering without …
There’s a quip I sometimes use at the conclusion of a book purchase. It’s meant to be amusing but also contains a serious grain of truth. When the customer is in a good mood, my occasional comment as I hand over the selected items is, “These are ready for immediate use the moment you get …
Because I’m constantly thinking about how to attract more customers through the front door, I was intrigued by a recent story on NPR that described how the Walgreen’s chain is experimenting with a wider range of products as a way to attract shoppers away from department stores. The online version of the story includes a photo …
