Why click and collect will not "save" bookstores

Illustration of a bookshop -

• The craze around the "click and collect" should not allow bookstores to achieve a satisfactory turnover, believe the professionals.

• However, reopening bookstores is not the ideal solution either.

Call the local bookstore to buy your comics rather than ordering on Amazon or Fnac.

A good resolution adopted by many consumers in recent days after the re-containment and the rant of small traders.

But will this awareness and the momentum of solidarity that it seems to arouse enable booksellers to overcome this new closure?

"The" click and collect "will not save us," says Samuel Chauveau, manager of the Bulle bookstore in Le Mans.

An opinion shared by many independent booksellers and book players in the Pays-de-la-Loire region.

At the Durance bookstore in Nantes, however, the telephone rings a lot.

"For the moment, we manage to maintain a third of our activity, calculates the manager Daniel Cousinard.

It is already that but it generates a very important disorganization in the functioning of the library.

The "click and collect" eats 100, even 150% of our time.

»An observation shared by the L'Odyssée team in Vallet (Loire-Atlantique).

“It takes a lot of energy from us for only 15% of turnover,” reports Audrey Scopel.

We have kept our payroll because we want to keep the advice to the public, by video or telephone… ”

Should we reopen bookstores?

Because beyond a big shortfall, booksellers fear that click and collect will distort the link they have with readers.

"What will become of our profession, focused on advising and defending editorial diversity?" Asks Christel Rafstedt, president of the association of independent bookstores Alip [see box].

The risk is that customers will only ask us for the books we talk about the most, and not those we could show them.

We must continue the "click and collect" while finding solutions to maintain the essence of our profession which is meeting.

"

The solution, as some argue, would it be to reopen bookstores as soon as possible?

Again, some fear the false good idea.

Gwendal Oulès, of the Récréalivres youth bookstore in Le Mans, even says he is embarrassed by the subject.

“I am convinced that the book is an essential good, but I would have the impression of being privileged vis-à-vis other small businesses, and it would be difficult to justify it.

As a boss, you also have to be concerned about employees: will they feel safe?

Will they really want to get back to work in these times of confinement?

"

Aid promised by the region

In the meantime, the Ministry of Culture has announced the reimbursement of postage costs for customers who choose delivery.

A decision that does not arouse the enthusiasm of Daniel Cousinard, at Durance, who fears having to "transform into a shipping warehouse".

The president of the Pays-de-la-Loire region, Christelle Morancais (LR), for her part, announced several measures for the profession during a meeting this Friday.

A support fund of 300,000 euros for the 57 booksellers and publishers in the region must be voted in particular next week.

The “book coupon”, a device intended for high school and regional students, will be doubled to reach 32 euros.

Culture

Containment: The State covers the shipping costs of independent bookstores

Society

Confinement at Le Mans: An independent bookstore remained open on the first day of the reconfinement

An online sales site for independent bookstores in the region

The association of independent bookstores in Pays-de-la-Loire has a website allowing “click and collect” for 42 of them.

And connections have exploded this week.

"We had 1,300 customers between November 1 and 6 for 45,000 euros in turnover", welcomes the president of the association.

• Nantes

• Covid 19

• Bookstore

• Confinement

• Coronavirus

• Society