Tweak # 107: According to expert Erik Thompson, about half of what we see is what we hear. Things like entrainment (a new term for us!) lead to strategic considerations for your music experience in the bookshop – which in turn lead to connection and sales. That interesting fact, along with the advent of AI in detecting "personal" vs. "retail" use of things like Spotify and Pandora, suggest that thinking about both music content and sourcing are important. After listening, we

Tweak # 106: Are book returns quietly draining your resources? In this eye-opening episode, Lisa reveals how routine book returns can consume the equivalent of eight full weeks of work for one person. Use this episode to spring forward and begin your own analysis on how to transform this challenge into an opportunity to improve efficiency and profitability. Listen to previous episodes to learn or recall practical strategies to minimize returns and maximize sales through thoug

Tweak # 105: What if the “industry standard” isn’t the only way? In our latest podcast, Lisa’s research reveals three broad themes shaping today’s bookshops, and how knowing yours can transform everything from layout and design to inventory strategy. We’re challenging the idea that all bookshops must adhere to 3-4 inventory turns per year. Instead, we explore how your bookshop’s core focus — whether book-centric, community-centric, or advocacy-centric — can guide your decisio

Tweak # 104: The secret sauce that has given Franklin Fixtures resilience in the economic "big pause" we've experienced is the same one that gives our bookshops staying power in tough times: it's all about inventory strategy. What if we sold every book we purchased? What if we got out of the business of returns? What if we held less inventory and turned it more frequently? Join Lisa in these powerful questions to ponder in this week's Two Minute Tweak. Click to listen now. Su