Marketing Week looks at the beleagured bookstore chain and after assessing the pros (pleasant stores, clear and logical book categorization) and cons (expensive pricing) makes the following recommendations:
Target the occasional book buyers with stronger offers and promotions.
Provide more reasons to visit the stores such as events.
Create more themed displays to inspire back catalogue purchases.
Install self-search computer terminals to ease pressure on the information points.
Match some online prices in-store and make sure this is publicised.
For the most part, the recommendations make sense, though we’ll take them one by one. For stronger offers and promotions, it wouldn’t hurt for Waterstone’s to mimic what Borders UK is doing with independent publishers. For “more reasons to visit,” only if the events center around the book, not around the author. I’m surprised that self-search terminals haven’t been installed yet or that there hasn’t been more price matching between store and online. But most of all, spurring interest in backlist titles is key.