Wob News

Books, Books, Glorious Books

bookshelfWhen we launched the ‘Take Your Pick Tuesday’ promotion, we weren’t entirely sure how our customers would react. There were a couple of worst case scenarios we had considered beforehand; one in which the idea was entirely ignored or universally pilloried, the second where it exploded instantaneously leaving us with an unmanageable bombardment of queries and complaints (something we came close to).

Fortunately, despite a few teething problems, we avoided the ignominy of complete chaos. That said, it was far from perfect. Eighty books are now being packaged up, heading off to their new homes and ready to be enjoyed once again. A perfect outcome.

Of course, we apologise to those who missed out this time. But the good news is that there will be plenty more opportunities to grab a great used book for absolutely nothing.

Also, we want to extend a massive thank you to everyone who took part. You ran us ragged for a short while, but I hope we responded to most messages and didn’t leave you in the dark. We received dozens of emails, so don’t panic if you haven’t received a response. The admin alone took a good afternoon to clear – not that we are complaining of course.

So What Was It All About?

The masterplan was neither particularly masterful or well planned as it turned out. But while the format needs tweaking, the outcome was fantastic.

Millions of books pass through our doors here at World of Books HQ. From out of print rarities to massive best sellers, we see them all. Of course the challenge for us is to find new owners for these discarded publications as well as extolling the virtues of used titles.

Sadly, the majority of our books end up being recycled. While this is a great way of extending their useful life without damaging the planet, we know that there is always somebody, somewhere that would be only too happy to read and share them in their original form.

First and foremost, World of Books is a business. We never try to pretend otherwise. While it is important that we do as much as possible to support the environment and our partner charities, selling books is what we do. With over 350 employees here in Goring-by-Sea, a fair few people are dependent on us shifting those paperbacks.

So Take Your Pick Tuesday is our way of sharing something for nothing, as well as showing off a small fraction of the titles on offer. There are now 2 million books in stock, which is enough for every person in Latvia to take one home. But the good news is that there are plenty to go around.

The Great Thing About Second-Hand Books Is…

There are plenty of ways to finish that sentence. Unfortunately not everybody is willing to take a risk buying a used book they’ve never seen, even if it is much cheaper than buying brand new. So for us, Take Your Pick Tuesday is as much about getting people excited about pre-loved titles as it is about offering a great opportunity to get something for free.

We genuinely appreciate our customers and hope that you are always happy with the products and service we offer. We are also built on the principle that second-hand books don’t need to be second-rate. So in a nutshell, that’s why we did it and why we will do it again next week!

Thank you again to everyone who got involved with the promotion, and to those who were unfortunate enough to miss out this time, come back and see us on Tuesday for more fun and games – although hopefully with fewer kinks.

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