Independent bookstores ready for holiday shoppers despite shortages

Cassandra Lybrink and Sean Miller, The Holland Sentinel
·2 min read
Readers World in downtown Holland prepares for holiday shoppers. The store was busy and bustling Monday, Nov. 22.
Readers World in downtown Holland prepares for holiday shoppers. The store was busy and bustling Monday, Nov. 22.

HOLLAND — Local bookstores, like many retailers, are asking customers to prepare for holiday shopping earlier than ever this year due to worldwide supply shortages.

"We just want people to know, if they're doing special orders, they need to order early," said Lisa Hungerink, owner of Readers World in downtown Holland. "The earlier, the better, because we can't guarantee next-day delivery anymore."

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Bookstores across the region are tackling the shortages — some even began preparations for the holiday season five or six months ago. Others have doubled their stock of popular titles.

"We can easily get the stuff that's been out for a while," said Readers World employee Audrianne Hill. "The classics. But the new, hot things, they're backlogged. I just had an order this morning for 'The Firekeeper's Daughter,' and it might not be here until the end of December."

Local bookstores are urging customers to shop as early as possible this year, particularly if their purchases need to be specially ordered.
Local bookstores are urging customers to shop as early as possible this year, particularly if their purchases need to be specially ordered.

In the past, the store's main distributor could take orders until Dec. 20. This year, that date has been pushed up by a week.

"I've heard there's not a lot of paper," Hill said. "We're hoping that people will pay attention. But honestly, we haven't suffered, because we did curbside and everything. When people stay home, they read — and it's just kept going from there."

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Hungerink gave a similar outlook, adding that holiday shoppers are already dropping in.

"We're selling a lot of gift items and gift-type books," she said. "We're prepared. We've got stacks of coffee table books and more."

Meanwhile, further north, McLean and Eakin Bookstore in Petoskey — as well as Saturn Booksellers in Gaylord and Between the Covers in Harbor Springs — prepared earlier than ever this year, snapping up popular titles as far back as May and June.

"To be candid, there are some items here and there that are running out," said McLean and Eakin owner Matt Norcross. "Certain book titles and a few games we have that have a more elaborate production are starting to run short already."

Readers World in downtown Holland has plenty of gift-focused products, including coffee table books, popular reads and calendars.
Readers World in downtown Holland has plenty of gift-focused products, including coffee table books, popular reads and calendars.

Katie Boeckl of Between the Covers has been been telling customers since early October to buy something when they see it.

"Buy it right then and there," she said. "You don't know if it'll still be there again the next day."

Jill Miner of Saturn Booksellers agreed that shoppers may need to be flexible this season in finding the "perfect gift" for someone.

"I think if shoppers can come in and be flexible and open to suggestions that we can really suggest some great reads," she said.

— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at cassandra.lybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Independent bookstores ready for holiday shoppers despite shortages