High-tech no competition at book shop

To corporate high-tech, giant retail chain stores, the way Bent Pages conducts business might seem, well, a little twisted.

Housed in a former Bethlehem Steel warehouse at 1422 Barrow St., the two level, green sheet metal structure that has been home to the new and used bookstore and cafe since March 1997, has no exterior business sign, just a large, wooden front porch surrounded by plants. No glaring lights or strategically positioned aisles designed on a marketing schematic, and no music playing that has been selected to psychologically prompt the spending of money. This place does not even accept credit cards.

The bucking of lessons from Retail 101 has not hurt business partners, primarily friends, Molly Bolden and Kay Levine. In fact, they have intentionally designed their business with appeal for the serious aficionado of printed pages.

“Most of our new books are discounted by as much as 30 percent,” Bolden said regarding one of the benefits of being an independent store compared to locations dependent upon larger profit margins to make their bottom line.

“I think that’s our big draw,” Bolden said. “We sell a lot of new things. We do a lot of work with schools because we are able to give them that cut in price. We’re actually becoming a supplier to some of the areas and I feel good about it.”

From popular titles to hard-to-find texts, the owners of Bent Pages will flip through their directory of publishers and authors to find customers what they want.

Even though the structure housing this business was once an industrial site, this is no cold warehouse operation. Walking through the rows of 947,000 titles in this no frills 5,000 square-foot building, with an exposed steel frame overhead, can become a treasure hunt for the unexpected, whether novel or newsworthy.

Customers frequently grab a stack of selected material and browse with a cup of coffee or a sandwich from the in-house cafe. Sometimes the relaxed pace offers buyers an opportunity to make an ideal purchase. Occasionally, they get a good read without taking anything home. “But that’s OK,” Levine said.

“We provide a big discount because we are in competition with every online seller in the world and they don’t pay tax,” Bolden said. “For us to be competitive we decided to do 30 percent as long as we get it [off the wholesale price].”

Remaining viable in a world of e-books and mobile reading devices, these hard copy devotees contend there is a market that is not age specific, but appreciates holding what they read in both hands and flipping pages. That group comprises their customer base.

“There is a certain kind of person that will find us,” Bolden said. “That is another reason we don’t need a sign. They will find us.”

“We provide some personalized services that no one else can,” Levine added. “If they can’t find what they want online they can come in here and say, ‘I read so-and-so book but I don’t know what the sequel is.’ We can figure it out. Tell them. Give them a price quote and order it for them. We will help them figure out what they want.

“We try to explain books to them and if that is not quite what they are looking for we can help them find what it is. They might ask, ‘Where are the children’s books.’ If you go over there and look on your own it might be kind of overwhelming. But if you talk to the person and find out what a child’s age is and their interests then you can lead them in a more precise area. If you can find out what a child likes, he will probably grow up enjoying to read.”

In a building that has been around since the 1920s, the home of Bent Pages has withstood major hurricanes, floods and economic changes.

With a business strategy designed on traditional principles of customer service, Bolden and Levine said they do not worry about the future of their bookstore. They live for today.

Customers find their business model to be a refreshing alternative from flashy, high tech retail outlets, even if it is a little twisted.

Bent Pages Bookstore owners Molly Bolden, left, and Kay Levine review the material they get in to not only be informed when directing customers to good reading, but also make sure the material meets their standards. MIKE NIXON