Schuler Books is riding the boom in the book industry to expansion.
This local bookshop, which celebrated its 40th birthday in September, is continuing to grow due to an increase in national print book sales. Schuler Books is expanding its Ann Arbor location, reopened its Okemos café and is opening a fourth store in West Bloomfield.
This all is built on the strengthening and expansion of its 2660-28th St. According to Alana Haley (Marketing Coordinator at Schuler Books), the SE location is located in Grand Rapids.
“We basically came out of the pandemic stronger than when we went into it, and that’s true of a lot of bookstores,” Haley said. “We were efficient, resourceful and creative. We had a very good online store and made it better, and our web sales went through the roof and stayed there.”
According to NPD market research, U.S. book sales rose by 9%, or by 67.8 Million, in 2021. Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, print book sales are up 18%, according to The Author’s Guild.
It is interesting to note that the American population continues to read print books at around 65%.
These stats are encouraging for booksellers and local retailers like Schuler Books. However, it is possible that the trend in sales might be reversed.
Unit sales of print books dropped 6.6% in the first half of 2022 compared to the year prior, according to Publisher’s Weekly.
Haley stated that lockdowns have given them more time to read, and that a volatile political environment and social movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have made it easier for people to read. Shoppers are also realizing the importance to shop locally and moving away from online booksellers, which drain money from local economies as well as authors.
“When people were stuck indoors, books became a sort of necessity, it was time to be filled and comfort to be sought,” Haley said. “People realized they needed to shop local if they wanted to keep places in business, if they wanted these places to survive.
“At the same time, customers came to books to educate themselves and learn about issues.”
Haley explained that while shopping online is convenient and can save you money, it can also feel empty.
“It’s almost always a better experience going to a physical store, and our book sellers tend to be thoughtful and well informed,” she said. “Finding a right book is something they take great pride in, it’s better than any algorithm.”
Schuler Books found a way to alter the algorithms of major online retailers. The bookstore became a major influencer on TikTok’s BookTok. The social account has more than half a million followers and its book suggestions often attract so much activity it ends up altering Amazon’s algorithms, according to Haley, who also said the retailer has been tagged by stores across the globe.
Between Schuler’s online store’s growth and its newfound social media success, it might seem like the retailer is riding into a new era. Schuler Books has remained true to its roots, despite the return of printed books and customers’ need for comfort.
“Bookstores have been a refuge and are very welcoming and inclusive,” Haley said. “Customers know a bookstore is a safe, warm place to be.”