Tweak # 122: This practical tweak is all about one of Lisa’s favorite fixtures: the quirky, wonderful octagonal. With its eight sides of magic, this fixture invites customers to move around it, discovering the display one story at a time. Paired with a face-out-friendly riser and plenty of room for storytelling, the octagonal can become one of the hardest-working fixtures in a shop. Lisa shares how Parnassus, Book Hampton, and Maria’s Books use octagonals to feature new relea

Tweak # 121: There is one thing retail experts predict AI is going to change that feels like a really good thing: real, authentic, personal service is going to become one of the things we value most. In this Two Minute Tweak, Lisa shares a powerful takeaway from the Women in Retail Circle Conference. Retail leaders are pointing toward a future where authentic, personal service matters more than ever. For bookshops, libraries, and small shops, that is deeply encouraging. The e

Tweak # 120: Independent bookshops are having a moment, and according to Kristen McLean, VP of Client Insights for Circana, it may be more than a moment. It may be the beginning of a true renaissance. In this data-packed Two Minute Tweak, Lisa shares highlights from a personal conversation with Kristen following this year’s American Booksellers Association meeting. The takeaway is encouraging: consumer interest is moving toward local, authentic, community-centered spaces, and

Tweak # 119: Lisa Uhrik and Steve Wax take a quick look at Linda-Marie Barrett’s guide, Creating a Salon: The Magic of Conversations That Matter, and the timely work of helping people gather for meaningful dialogue. For bookshops and community-minded hosts, pulling people together into conversation is brave, good, and sometimes delicate work. This episode explores how thoughtful setting, gentle structure, and intentional facilitation can help create safer, more productive gat