Do You Hate Children Mrs Blackwell?
A common question in the bookshop is “Why do you have so few children's books?”
It’s not an oversight or mistake that we don’t have much of a children’s section — but neither is it a totally unfair question, so I thought I’d take a moment to set the record straight.
Here are some of the reasons why we don’t stock many children’s books, from the most noble to the most pampered:
1. Adults need encouragement too
As the article mentions, part of being a reader is "a positive attitude toward reading and a positive self-image as a reader."
Yet so many adults read only their email, news feeds and social media sites. Even if they do read a book on a phone or tablet, it’s impossible for a child (or anyone else for that matter) to know at a glance if they’re reading the Great Works or just scrolling Instagram.
There is a time and a place for reading ebooks or listening to audiobooks - the later being a favourite companion of mine on my morning walks! - but it is simply a different experience holding a book in your hand and that experience is vicariously transferred to the young people in your life when they see you reading a book.
In designing and developing our Village Bookshop, I wanted to put books in a grown up, inviting environment that brings a level of glamour not always found at bookshops. I want to make shopping for books — and by extension reading them — a luxurious, pleasurable experience so that more adults will indulge their own reading hobby, and thereby encourage other readers around them.
And, to be frank, there’s only so much shelf space in our wee location, and I already have a (deliciously) difficult time deciding what makes the cut.
2. Offering a guilt-free shopping experience
Building on the idea above, some parents and non-parents actually want a child free shopping experience.
Shopping for books with your children is a completely different experience to shopping for books by yourself. I think of mums who admit they hide the good chocolates from their kids and eat them while hiding in the pantry or after the kids have gone to bed.
We want to be like the good chocolates in your life — no pantry snacking necessary.
Local mothers drop in after they've dropped their kids to school and say how they like that they don't feel obligated to bring their kids here and can have some time to themselves.
3. Creating a specialised shopping experience
Think about the shopping experience you have visiting a big box store like Farmers to the experience at say, a Chanel store.
Both sell cosmetics and clothing. One aims to please the largest variety of customers and the others aim to please a small subset of cosmetic and clothing shoppers. One relies heavily on the allure of discounts while the other serves up luxury that shoppers are willing to pay extra for. But at the end of the day neither will actually please everyone.
The future of retail - according to the Blackwells - is in specialisation, and I don’t believe bookshops are any different. I’ve no desire to compete with The Warehouse or other big box retailers that might happen to carry books any more than I want to compete with children’s bookshops. We each have our own role to play in the shopping universe.
4. Diversifying the shops in the community
As any good business owner would, I looked at the needs and desires of my potential customers before deciding on the specifics of what my bookshop would and wouldn’t be.
There are several great gift stores in our town with large children’s book sections, as well as a dedicated children's bookshop in our neighbouring town, Featherston. Customers will get a better service and more expertise as well as an environment geared toward children. Their livelihood depends on children's books, and I want us all to be successful.
The children’s books we do have are mostly children’s nonfiction and reproduction classics and that serves our community — an older audience and visitors wanting quality gifts for kids, children's books they remember and want to share with their family. It serves the needs and desires of our potential customers without unnecessarily competing with another local business. Win/win all around!
5. Not everyone loves kids and dogs.
My unpopular opinion: children and pets just bring a very different energy to any space that they're in. And I think it’s OK to have some spaces that aren’t made for them.
So no, I don’t hate children! Or dogs. Well behaved versions of either are very welcome in our shop. But I’ve also consciously decided to create a space that brings a luxury shopping experience to books and reading, without competing with other business owners in our town.
And I invite you to come in and enjoy the ambiance the next time you’re in Greytown.
