Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020 | Página 21

SACRAMENTO COUNTY AT A GLANCE
… I spent the rest of the year working
part time in the store for free, just to
learn the ropes.” Greg continues to work
full time for Degenkolb, an engineering
company based in San Francisco, with
Sue primarily managing the store. Their
children are involved in the store too.
“David (17) started a weekly game club
hosting Dungeons & Dragons and Magic:
The Gathering, and Jennie (14) started a
tween book club,” Sue says. “They also
help out in other ways, from running the
front desk to pricing and shelving books.”
Are bookstores booming?
Independent bookstores were already
struggling when the 2008 recession hit,
mainly because of competition from
big-box stores such as Borders and
Barnes & Noble and the rise of Amazon
as a major retailer. But after Borders
closed its 400 stores in 2011, there was a
resurgence in independent bookstores;
a study this year by Harvard University
found the number of independent stores
in the United States increased 49 percent
between 2009 and 2018 to 2,470. “We
bought a bookstore because we believe
in the value small independent bookstores
bring to a community,” Sue says.
Customers come to local family-owned
stores “because they value the input,
the suggestions, that we can provide. It’s
personal, not a book list generated by a
computer algorithm.”
What about the coronavirus?
Now, independent bookstores face
another challenge: the coronavirus pandemic.
Shortly after the state’s order that
forced all nonessential businesses to
close due to the outbreak, the Richards
received emails asking about curbside
pickup, and they solicited feedback
through Instagram and Facebook. “As it
turned out,” Sue says, “there was quite a
strong interest from the community in
obtaining books to satisfy folks’ stay-athome
reading desires.” Crawford’s Books
takes orders via email and phone and
offers curbside pickups Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Saturdays and porch deliveries
Saturdays to homes within 5 miles of
THE 10-COUNTY
CAPITAL REGION
the store. It also will ship for customers
out of the area. “We also offer to pick out
books for people if they have a specific
author or genre of interest,” Sue says. “Or
surprise them altogether, if that is their
desire.” The store also is now hosting its
monthly Mysteries and More Adult Book
Club gatherings via Zoom.
What about the future?
The Richards were working on a plan to
fully reopen after Sacramento County
announced that bookstores could do so,
though as of press time in mid-May Sue
was unsure when that would happen.
But she said they will continue to offer
curbside pickup and deliveries. “The
majority of our stock is used books,”
Sue says, “so we depend on customers
bringing in books for trade as our primary
means of maintaining inventory.”
Because of the restrictions of the state’s
order, the store temporarily suspended
accepting used books. Crawford’s Books
also started offering bundles of books
with family, children, mystery, sciencefiction
and other themes. They include
five ($16), eight ($24) or 10 ($32) used
books. “Every pack gets hand packaged
in wrapping paper,” Sue says. “We like
to write the person’s name and little
messages on the packages as well, just for
a personal touch.” The store plans to continue
offering these used-book bundles
on a regular basis, Sue says. “(They) will
have continued appeal.”
Population: 1.54 million (*508,517)
Median Age: 36.4 (*34.3)
Median Income: $69,767 (*$65,046)
County Seat: Sacramento
Biggest Cities: Sacramento, Elk Grove
(166,228), Citrus Heights (86,618),
Folsom (75,897), Rancho Cordova
(70,785)
*City of Sacramento data
SOURCE: HTTPS://DATAUSA.IO
How's Freeport Boulevard?
Sue is excited about the future of the
store, especially since a new Raley’s
opened just a half-mile north. “Many
new stores are opening in the complex,”
she says. “So it all seems very positive
for the future of business in this
neighborhood.” Sue says her family
feels very connected to the Hollywood
Park neighborhood, whose residents she
says show strong support and a sense of
loyalty to local small businesses. “(Our
customers) leave with an experience
worth always coming back for. And in
the end, it is about our experience as
well. I get to help people find enjoyment
and fulfillment through books, and I
love what I do.”
Tom Couzens is executive editor of
Comstock’s. On Twitter @tomcouzens.
MAIN STREET profiles businesses
in our 10-county Capital Region. If
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June 2020 | comstocksmag.com 21