A local favorite suffers

At the end of last month, King’s Books issued a press release that transparently affirmed the current status of the business: times are tough, and they are not exempt from this terrible economic state. As a result the well-loved local used bookstore created the Vehement Vassals membership program, something the store has never really done before. It gives members 10 percent off anything in the store, advanced notice about special sales and offers, and only costs $20 for a whole year.

“We’re trying to get through the recession,” said Pat McDermott, co-owner of King’s Books. “It’s been really hard. We’re just trying it out. We have over 1,500 people on our e-mail list. There’s been a good core group, but we need a new way to reach out.”

McDermott affirmed that King’s has indentified a few problems with assuring the community that their situation is not desirable. Firstly, they do not know if patrons realize how difficult it is being independent in this economy. Secondly, they are not sure if their customers know how this type of bookstore works. Essentially, if King’s does not have a positive cash flow coming in, they cannot get new books, and they would much rather increase their offerings rather than the opposite.

Like most retail stores King’s Books anticipates a jolt in spending for the holiday season, but that might not be enough. The store may have to do more to stay afloat. “We’re thinking of approaching members who are thinking of giving us low-interest loans, all legal, with contracts. We’re talking to banks, and our bank, but we have to figure out a way to get more cash flow,” McDermott said.

So far there are about 75-80 people signed up in the Vehement Vassals program, and the owners can recognize the majority of the names on that list. But McDermott is concerned they still have not done enough marketing to fully promote the program. “(Those people) are frequently here, and know us at events, which is great. But there are people who come to events that don’t know about it. sweet pea (events coordinator and long-time employee) is trying to get a Facebook page going, and does have a lot of connections on there, but we’ve only done an e-mail, put it on the website and made an announcement,” McDermott stated.

He and co-owner John Schoppert are seriously thinking of making a big transition and going onto second careers, (both owners only work at King’s Books part-time). He confided that they need steadier incomes because of family needs.

“But we want the store to thrive and survive. sweet pea is in the process now to see how he can take it over. We’re going to make a pitch on another e-mail about more emphatically why we’re doing this (Vehement Vassals). It’s a community project, and we can keep the store going.”

In terms of actual sales numbers, the onslaught has been dramatic. Vehement Vassals has helped some in its short existence, but McDermott said that the economy has lowered their profits by at least 20 percent since the downturn started. When he goes over the figures with a fine-toothed comb, that number may be closer to 25 percent. He does not believe that it is King’s Books’ competitors that are the problem, but rather people are strongly re-evaluating where their every dollar goes.

Though the situation is dire, McDermott, Schoppert and sweet pea remain hopeful and loyal to their literary cause and business. “We love the store, and hope we can keep it going. If we get more people who love the store to know about the program, I think things will improve,” McDermott said.

To join the Vehement Vassals program or to find out about other ways you can help out King’s Books in their time of need, call (253) 272-8801 or visit http://www.kingsbookstore.com/vassals.html.

Commenting rules