Bookstore owner John Cavalier says the COVID pandemic may have been the saving grace of independently owned bookstores.
"We're due for a renaissance," said Cavalier, who co-owns Cavalier Books, located at 114 N. Range Ave. in Denham Springs, with his wife, Michelle.
The Cavaliers, along with Red Stick Reads and Monarch Books, both in Baton Rouge, are getting their book shops ready for the 2024 Independent Bookstore Day, which is Saturday.
To celebrate, Cavalier Books will be giving away a bag of books with every $30 purchase.
John Cavalier, co-owner of Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, believes the pendulum is swinging for independent locally owned bookstores.
Cavalier says he sees the pendulum swinging back in favor of locally owned and independent bookstores. To demonstrate his thoughts on the matter, he, appropriately enough, uses a book.
"There's a great book called 'Reluctant Capitalist.' It's about bookstores in the 20th century," he said.
Written by Laura J. Miller, the book takes a look at the meaning of retailing and consumption in American culture at large by showing that the dynamic between book shops and big box stores goes way back. What is relatively new in the equation is the role of the internet — Amazon specifically.
Miller explores the loyalty readers and customers have toward specific bookstores and why people identify so deeply with a certain genre or type of books.
Less than 400 square feet, Red Stick Reads mixes children's and adult books, puzzles and role-playing games.
That personal connection plays a role in John Cavalier's observation in what he sees as a comeback for independent bookstores. He believes COVID helped people realize a newfound appreciation for personal experiences.
"And they appreciate the community more," he said.
Even still, he realizes there's a lot of ground for independent books stores to make up that has been lost to the internet and big box stores. Cavalier has the data to back up that observation.
"In 2017, we were capturing only about 15-18% of the book market in Denham Springs," he said.
Cavalier says the book-selling community is a very open community.
He said that he and his wife actively seek to share their best plans with other locally-owned bookstores, including Red Stick Reads in Baton Rouge.
"Because the truth of the matter is, when it comes to market share, we're not really competing with each other for market share," he said. "We're competing against Amazon. We're competing against Walmart."
Tere Hyfield talks about hers and husband James Hyfield's, background, Red Stick Reads bookstore, which is less than 400 square feet.
The Cavaliers met husband and wife team James and Tere Hyfield, who own Red Stick Reads, just before the COVID pandemic started. Cavalier says they were happy to share whatever information they have to make it in the world of independently-owned bookstores.
The Hyfields started out doing bookstore popups and now own the 700-square-foot Red Stick Reads, located at 541 S. Eugene St. in Baton Rouge. After two years in business in Mid City, the Hyfields are making plans to relocate their shop by the end of the year, as their lease is up at their current location.
"We are looking to stay in Mid City — and there is quite a bit of property actually available in Mid City, but there are not a lot of things that are exactly apples-to-apples with this size," James Hyfield said. "So every move that we make, we have to consider that it's going to be bigger, which is good, but that costs more money."
Hyfield's goal is to keep their shop within walking distance of nearby high schools — with dreams of having an event space to host authors.
Tents and small table and chairs provide a place for little children to hang out and let their imaginations run wild, inside James and Tere Hyfield's small Red Stick Reads bookstore.
"When we do story time for children, it fills up the place and then it's hard for others to shop," Hyfield said. "So we'd like to have a space that had enough room to be able to have a room, a cordoned-off area that you could have birthday parties and have story time. We would also like to bring a coffee and tea element into it."
Meanwhile, Red Stick Reads has an array of activities planned for readers and patrons to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day — including a big batch of homemade jambalaya that Hyfield, a former chef, will make and share with patrons. Plus, they'll be offering 20% off everything in the store and other activities throughout the day.
Tere Hyfield, left, and husband James Hyfield, right, in their Red Stick Reads bookstore.
Additionally, they partner with Red Stick Spice to host combination cooking classes and book club called "Cook the Book." The next book club is "Tom Lake" by Ann Patchett, set for May 14.
"You read the book. She does the cooking class with a menu based on the book — and then we do a book club when you sit down to eat," Hyfield said.
Over at Monarch Books, founder Emily C.S. Spears says she's also excited to participate in Independent Bookstore Day.
Monarch Books, opened in fall 2020, is the city's first black woman-owned independent bookstore.
“Independent Bookstore Day is a day that celebrates the importance of supporting local bookstores. This is our first year participating and we are proud to celebrate the love of reading and promote literacy in Louisiana,” said Spears. “Diversity in literature is key to increasing literacy and to making reading more accessible for everyone.”
Monarch Books celebrates black and brown authors and is a registered Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) bookseller with the American Booksellers Association (ABA).