THE Book Stop’s Here has been open for less than 12 months but is already a popular place for booklovers and bookworms to spend time browsing the shelves.
It opened in November last year and has more than 10,000 titles in a wide range of genres so there promises to be something for all tastes, interests and reading abilities.
Here manager Nik Lowe tells us what The Book Stop’s Here so special.
Tell us a bit about the business
The Book Stop’s Here is a community benefit society which is owned by the people of St Helens. Anyone can apply for and purchase shares in the business with all the profits generated by book and gift sales going directly back into the business. This keeps the lights on and enables us to ensure there is always a wide range of books and gifts available.
What do you do? What services do you provide?
We are primarily an independent and local bookshop selling new books, gifts and toys. We have a large range of stock including more than 10,000 titles in multiple genres so there is something to suit every taste whether it’s commercial, academic or obscure. We can order most titles in for next day delivery, if there is anything missing from our shelves.
We run free story time for children on Saturdays at 11am as well as many other themed events. We recently ran a Superhero Saturday celebrating graphic novels and comics which included a visit from Spiderman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy as well as Catwoman and Thor. In August, we ran a local author convention to celebrate and highlight the creative writing talent in the town. We also have a coffee shop run by Two Brothers, which serves the best coffee in St Helens and was recently voted St Helens’ Best Café 2022. The atmosphere is very relaxing.
Why did you decide to open your own business?
I didn’t setup the business but as the manager, I am employed by the trustees to run and operate the shop between 9.30am and 5pm Monday to Saturday. We receive charitable funding to cover salary so every penny in profit earned is reinvested directly back into the business. It was the brainchild of Brian Leyland, a prominent figure in the town who, with a group of fellow volunteer trustees, decided that St Helens needed not only its own book shop, but also a community hub. He wanted to create a place where people could come, relax and drink coffee while browsing and buy new books. We operate with the same mindset as a charity and our overall mission is to improve literacy in St Helens, especially in children, but for everyone. To that end, we partner with other charitable stakeholders and volunteers to offer services and events that increase well-being and improve literacy. Unfortunately, Brian passed away earlier this year, but his legacy lives on in The Book Stop and we will continue with his vision.
What’s your business background?
I have a degree in Business and Organisation Management from Edge Hill University and have spent the past ten years in stadium hospitality management working for St Helens RFC, Stockport County and Manchester City. I ran and operated large-scale events catering for up to 50,000 customers on matchdays as well as large conferences, weddings and business meetings for the likes of British Gas, O2 and United Utilities.
Why this type of business?
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I lost my job and my dad. The working hours in hospitality often involved long shifts, weekends and nights and I realised that none of that matters compared to time spent with your family and the memories you make. I have always loved books but rarely get the chance to read with a family and other commitments, so when this opportunity came up, I was really impressed by the mission. The business model is to be a social enterprise - a company that reinvests in the community it serves and aims to promote reading for pleasure. We cater for many genres, tastes and styles so customers will always be able to find something to enjoy. I have a healthier work / life balance now, and I love the difference we are making to the town.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect the business?
We were scheduled to open in 2020 but Covid delayed that so it was at the end of November last year when we finally opened our doors to the public.
What makes your business different to others in the same field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?
I think in today’s age of streaming media and instant deliveries, it can be very difficult in retail, especially in bookselling. We have no control over pricing on books and that can limit our competitiveness against the big players. What we can do though is stand out in other ways. We offer a curated reading and book buying experience. We are supported by a group of incredible friendly volunteers who have such a depth of knowledge and passion for books. They write book reviews and provide insight and advice. We run reading sessions for children on Saturdays and themed events to tie in with notable literary events. We support the local community by stocking local authors and artists. We use ethical suppliers for all our gifts, games and toys and we partner with local schools, libraries, the arts – Heart of Glass - and many others to try and not only bring books back to St Helens but also to enrich the town.
What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your business?
We have exciting projects planned. Aside from running author signings and events, we have an ambitious plan to refurbish and renovate the upstairs of our premises to create an event space. We want to install a platform lift to improve accessibility which is a huge and very costly undertaking. We are looking to secure funding and the early signs appear very promising. We hope to be able to offer a new community hub space for the people of St Helens in the early part of 2023 which will include book clubs, creative writing, author events and much more.
For more information visit facebook.com/StHBookStop
Read about Old Tom’s Workshop in Rainford, where Gyles Charnock runs a premium woodwork and furniture business that has been in his family for more than a century.
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