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 releases, build themes...

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 everyday moments,...

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 independent...