Main Street Books in Orleans, Mass. offers a 10 percent discount on any purchase made from its website. The twist is that the 10 percent discount is then donated a charity.
"Our independent bookstore offers socially aware Internet shopping and a good deal for you!" reads the website, which just launched in late November.
The owners, Don Krohn and Janis Brennan, came up with the marketing ploy after recognizing that avid readers tend to be more socially aware. The hope is that the charitable option provides another reason to shop the store when "a lot of people are torn between shopping locally and saving money," Mr. Krohn said to The Cape Cod Times.
The site also lists a number of charities it makes donations to. These include Natural Resources Defense Council, The Conservation Fund, International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam America, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It also lists two local charities: The Association to Preserve Cape Cod and AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod.
Even with the discount, prices at Main Street Books are much higher than its bigger competition. The article noted that the best-seller "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," by Stieg Larsson, was available in paperback from Amazon.com for $9.99 with shipping due to a 60 percent discount versus $15.95 with shipping from Main Street Books. The price differential was closer on older books. Geraldine Brooks' 2007 "People of the Book" was $11 through an Amazon-linked reseller; $18.97 from Borders; and $16 from Main Street Books.
Ms. Brennan hopes the online discounts enable the store to reach shoppers who want to support good causes and small, independent bookstores, or to connect to Cape Cod.
"It does sound contradictory," Mr. Krohn said. "Shop locally and shop online."
On Tuesday, Canada's independent bookseller McNally Robinson announced it would file for bankruptcy protection and close half of its retail outlets. The book seller blamed the "recession, stagnant book prices, steep discounting, and increasing competition from internet sales and electronic text formats."
Discussion Questions: What do you think of Main Street Books' online marketing push touting charitable discounts? Are smaller stores able to tap the charitable connection better than larger stores? What other innovative ways can local book stores differentiate themselves from Amazon and larger book retailers?