Jigsaw puzzles are big right now, as are bestsellers, children鈥檚 books and workbooks. Occasionally, there鈥檚 a request for a copy of The Plague by Albert Camus.
Despite layoffs, plummeting sales and fears for their own survival, the capital region鈥檚 independent bookstores are still finding ways to keep people amused and informed during the COVID-19 outbreak.
鈥淥ur customers are amazing,鈥� says Jessica Walker, managing partner of Munro鈥檚 Books on Government Street. 鈥淲e wake up every day to a lovely batch of web orders which we then run around madly trying to fill.鈥�
In some cases, the orders offer unique insights into the pressures facing families in quarantine.
鈥淚 know, I鈥檝e picked a couple of orders where it鈥檚 like a jigsaw puzzle, a kid鈥檚 book and a self-help relationship book,鈥� says Colin Holt, manager of Bolen Books in Hillside Centre. 鈥淲ays to keep the kids busy and keep you and your partner sane.鈥�
As the pandemic hit, the bookstores closed their doors for safety reasons and most have laid off staff. But they鈥檙e still processing online and phone orders for shipping at little to no cost.
Tanner鈥檚 Books in Sidney, for instance, will deliver free to Sidney residents in self-isolation or living in a senior鈥檚 residence.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a no-contact delivery service,鈥� says owner Cliff McNeil-Smith, who is also Sidney鈥檚 mayor. 鈥淲e just deliver to the front desk of the senior citizens鈥� [home] and we just drop and phone when we鈥檙e at a person鈥檚 residence.鈥�
Like most independent bookstores, Tanner鈥檚 staff know a lot of their customers personally and are going out of their way for them right now, McNeil-Smith says.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of people who鈥檝e been reading newspapers, magazines and books for decades and it鈥檚 tough not to have access, particularly with the libraries closed.鈥�
For those unwilling to wait for home delivery, people can still pick up books at most stores.
Russell Books on Fort Street has even set up a 鈥渃ontact-free pick-up window鈥� that has done a brisk business in recent days.
Munro鈥檚 customers can knock and enter to pick up their books.
And Bolen鈥檚 faithful can collect their orders at the front door from noon to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. Customers pay electronically so that no cash changes hands, and only one person at a time is allowed in the foyer to meet the province鈥檚 social-distancing rules.
鈥淐ompared to what we would normally process in a day, it鈥檚 not many people,鈥� says Holt. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e getting things to some. We鈥檙e going through a lot of jigsaw puzzles right now, and a lot of kids鈥� workbooks.鈥�
In many cases, bookstore managers and staff are continuing to serve the public despite mounting anxiety about their own futures.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be hard for us,鈥� says Andrea Minter, manager of Russell Books. 鈥淭he pickup from the door is not going to pay the rent.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to make a profit at this time of year with what鈥檚 going on. That鈥檚 not my concern. My concern is just being able to pay the bills.鈥�
Walker has similar worries about how Munro鈥檚 will survive an outbreak that has effectively banished tourists from the downtown.
And as much as she appreciates the continuing support of loyal customers, the pick-up and online business isn鈥檛 sustainable, she says.
鈥淚鈥檓 really trying to look at the longer-term, trying to look at what is the six-month picture,鈥� she said.
鈥淭he next month 鈥� is not going to be great either. But I feel like everyone needs to be looking at the fall and their planning for now needs to include surviving for the next six months.鈥�
McNeil-Smith offered a similar assessment, noting that online and phones orders represent 鈥渞eally just a trickle鈥� compared with normal sales.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just like most businesses, trying to look ahead to see how long this will go for, come up with our business continuity plan and then what our recovery will look like when we do get back to re-opening again, which could be many weeks or a few months down the road.鈥�
