Sunday, Jun. 17, 2012 - Modesto Bee - By Jan Ferris Heenan - Bee Correspondent
Thousands gathered in New York last week for the annual BookExpo, the largest publishing industry event of the year. As independent booksellers congratulated themselves on the surprisingly rosy outlook for their market niche, Dimple Records staff in Sacramento sorted inventory and moved racks into an Arden Way storefront that will house the first stand-alone bookstore in the local chain's 38-year history.
The store will open this summer across the parking lot from Dimple's music, DVD and gaming center – one of seven in the Sacramento region owned and operated by the Radakovitz family. Like the other Dimple sites, the bookstore will contain a mix of new and used merchandise, with a heavy emphasis on customer trade-ins for cash or in-store credit.
Several of Dimple's counterparts, such as Rasputin Music in the Bay Area and Phoenix-based Zia Records, started carrying books in recent years and encouraged Dimple to do likewise. "We thought, 'If all of these guys are doing it, we've got to try it,'" said Dilyn Radakovitz, who runs the business with her husband, John, their two adult sons and a staff of 110.
Several of Dimple's counterparts, such as Rasputin Music in the Bay Area and Phoenix-based Zia Records, started carrying books in recent years and encouraged Dimple to do likewise. "We thought, 'If all of these guys are doing it, we've got to try it,'" said Dilyn Radakovitz, who runs the business with her husband, John, their two adult sons and a staff of 110.
rbenton@sacbee.com - Rick Adams helps family friend Hope Bolton, 3, at Dimple Records in Citrus Heights.
Dimple will be opening its first stand-alone bookstore, which will offer new and used merchandise, this summer on Arden Way. It will emphasize trade-ins, and new books will be priced 25 percent lower than the manufacturer's price.
"We have to be a reusable source for our customers so they can buy it, they can use it, they can sell it back and do some more."
Not that long ago, many were wringing their hands over the fate of the independent bookstore, endangered by the likes of Amazon.com as well as the evolution of the Nook, Kindle and similar e-readers. But in the year since Borders closed the last of its 511 stores, 55 new independents have opened up in the United States, according to the American Booksellers Association.
"We are trending up," ABA Vice President Steve Bercu told association members at the New York City trade show earlier this month. "That's great news and it shows that people feel bookselling is a good business to get into, something that would have been considered insane just a few years ago."
Full story at The Modesto Bee.
"We are trending up," ABA Vice President Steve Bercu told association members at the New York City trade show earlier this month. "That's great news and it shows that people feel bookselling is a good business to get into, something that would have been considered insane just a few years ago."
Full story at The Modesto Bee.
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