During cocktail hour at this weekend's SCIBA meeting, Skylight Books’ owner Kerry Slattery disclosed that she’ll be e-mailing customers in the next couple of weeks to notify them that the store needs their support and mobilization to keep Skylight open. “When Borders closed I kept hearing customers say that Skylight is doing great and they’re so glad we’re still here. But I need to tell them that that we really need their support right now. Our bills are all paid, but our savings are gone. We no longer have a cushion. We’re having a much harder time than we were a year ago.”
Slattery will suggest that customers join Skylight’s membership program (which costs $25 a year and is now up to 200 members), physically bring friends into the store to shop, promote Skylight through their Facebook and Twitter accounts, spread the word about the store’s business to business discount program for corporate sales, and order books on Skylight’s Web site. “We’re currently evaluating all expenses, and have reduced staff hours,” Slattery explained. The store has also cut its inventory by “quite a bit.” Skylight is selling Google e-books, which Slattery says is a service she’s offering customers for the sake of convenience but is not demonstrating a significant source of income. “We’ll do whatever it takes to survive,” said Slattery. “We’re making it, but I can’t promise we’ll be here a year from now.”
