ILA: What can bookshops learn from Dixons about re-opening?

I recently wrote a piece for The Bookseller about bookshops learning to overcome their technophobia. But really 'technophobia' is a proxy - and, on reflection, perhaps a disrespectful one - for change.

I say disrespectful, because many booksellers are extremely tech-savvy and many have been trading heroically through the lockdown. I visited my local bookshop Mostly Books yesterday (to be clear, remaining socially distanced, and by prior appointment) and witnessed an impressive operation of online and phone ordering, home deliveries, and perspex screens in anticipation for a phased re-opening beginning in June.

But the grim reality is that - as shops re-open - it is going to be a world of perspex screens, masks, gloves and remote contact. In other words, anything but the personalised, one-to-one independent bookselling experience that most entrepreneurs got into bookselling for. And that's before we even consider bookshops that major as destinations, with cafes and bars, or who thrive on the events and bookgroups that they curate.

Rather than dwell on these grim realities (we have Twitter for that, thank you) let's push on and look for solutions. And - as odd as it may sound - the tech retailer Dixons Carphone may offer some lessons in how to proceed.

Some context: a few years ago, Dixons Carphone* realised that it, like everyone else, was at risk of being crushed under the tank-tracks of the Amazon machine. And so they doubled down on what they felt was their USP - technology with human expertise to back it up. As the pandemic hit, Dixons started shifting that expertise online - recently launching ShopLive amongst other initiatives - to move one-to-one chats about technology and friendly expertise into the virtual arena.

This was at the end of April, and the Dixons marketing machine went into overdrive naturally, but this paragraph in a Marketing Week article really stood out:

'Iterating on the customer experience' might seem horrible marketing speak, but it's really just another way of saying "we're trying a bunch of stuff, seeing what works, and pursuing what customers tell us is working (and isn't)".

But there's something else in that paragraph: hints at a 'phased opening' of stores, and it's this combination of 'trying stuff' and a 'phased re-opening' that I feel bookshops have the most to learn.

Obviously there's a big difference in terms of profitability between a £6.99 paperback and a £500 fridge, but let's put that aside for the moment. Just what would 'iterating the customer experience' look for independent bookshops?

Let's start with the phased re-opening.

Phase 1 might be a pure-play online delivery service. Many indies have continued to trade through the lockdown with some sort of online only / home delivery service thanks to the efforts of the wider book trade (particularly the wholesaler Gardners). Those book stores that have closed completely might consider looking at how they could get something like this up and running, at least on a small scale.

Phase 2 might then be a 'click and collect' type service (what Mostly Books and other bookshops are planning). Limited access to the shop (curbside collections are proving popular), potentially via appointment, with shorter opening times. These might all serve to be a toe-dipping exercise in the water of physically opening the door again. This also has the advantage of a useful way to overcome any staff anxiety, with not too much re-arranging of the shop.

Phase 3 might be limited browsing (more on that below), with queuing, markers on floor and cashless transactions at a counter behind a perspex screen.

Phase 4 might then be a more 'normal' browsing experience - albeit one with queues, shop limits, regular deep-cleaning and other activities not only to keep staff and customers safe, but also (and probably more importantly) to demonstrate unambiguously that you were keeping staff and customers safe.

And Phase 5 - sounding the all-clear.

So far, so "stay alert" and very much in keeping with HMG's messaging. But what I particularly like about the phased approach is it allows you to 'throttle up and down' if (for example) there's a temporary imposition of the lockdown, or a hotspot near you.

This approach allows you roll back if things worsen. You simply move backwards and forward through the gears depending on whatever DEFCON level the situation calls for.

The more interesting bit is how to use technology to leverage the customer experience at each stage.

Here is a (not exhaustive) list of what you might consider:

Phase 1: what technologies do you already have to begin moving the customer experience online?

• Everyone should have a newsletter, however irregular and badly written (but if you can write a short, entertaining, quirky and regular missive, it's a brilliant way to grow customer loyalty). Mailchimp gives you everything you need to set up a free, secure and GDPR-compliant newsletter (but there are others).
• Could you instigate Zoom-based bookgroups, or interviews with local authors? The great thing about Zoom is that even if you only have five people and their dog watching the live event, you can record it and then share it via your website later.

Phase 2: what options do you have to set up a 'click-and-collect' service, or even a 'carry to car' service for customers?

• There are free scheduling apps and software to set up appointments (Setmore is free to try, and is web-based, but there are many out there) but to be honest an Excel or Google spreadsheet will do. Again, try it, iterate it, and get staff to play around with it - particularly if they are still working from home. The important thing is to get a system in place that you and your staff can feel confident using, and improve over time.
• Could you livestream a 'virtual tour' of your shop? With the book supply chain gearing up again, and new titles arriving once more, a regular tour on YouTube, Facebook or even Instagram might be fun and bridge the gap before browsing becomes possible again (TikTok is a mystery to me, and might be another possibility, but at the current time requires 1,000 followers to unlock livestream functionality).

Phase 3: what changes do you need to make to your shop to respect - and demonstrably show that you respect - the changing norms of the public space? This might include:

• A one-way system within the shop, and a 'greeter' (masked) at the door
• Signage, floor markers and polite but clear messaging to remind people to remain mindful of the need to socially distance and sanitise hands, etc.
• Different mechandising of key titles: possibly with 'browsing copies' or displays which match the 'virtual tours' you've been giving online.

From phase 3 onwards of course, things begin to return increasingly to normality. So is there an acid test for whether you should invest in a particular technology (or change) for your shop?

Ask yourself this: will it be something I continue to use after lockdown is a dim and distant memory? Remember that: 

• Many people will be anxious or unwilling to return to public spaces for some time.
• There may be a second wave (or subsequent waves) to deal with and this makes you business more resilient in the face of these.
• Many people have no local bookshop - this is an opportunity for them to develop a relationship with you, and kick the Amazon habit.

As with all numbered plans, once you've thought about it for a bit, there's always a 'Phase 0'. And that's to start planning now - whatever your lockdown status is. Get input and suggestions from your customers and staff, and consult them about what they want to see as your shop re-opens.

There is no playbook for this crisis. How you re-open your shop will be messy and stressful with no guarantee that anything will work.

But your customers have changed, and your mindset needs to change too.

The phased 'throttle' approach is widely applicable for everyone - from golf courses to schools. So start looking for the ideas, experiences and technologies of other businesses, not just other bookshops.

The Dixons approach and experience is a great place to start.

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* On the interests of transparency and full disclosure, I work with Vestcom International who do some extremely interesting work for Dixons Carphone involving shelf-edge technology and pricing.