Being With Booksellers
Traffic to Austin bookstores more than doubles on annual 'book trail'
The Austin Texas Book Trail entered bookstore visitors in prize drawings over the weekend.
Dozens of independent bookstores across Austin and Central Texas saw a major surge in customers this weekend as part of the annual Austin Texas Book Trail.
The free, two-day, self-guided bookstore crawl featured 36 independent shops. Shoppers used printed maps to navigate between locations, taking advantage of special perks, discounts, prizes and pop-up events along the way.
Event co-founders Michelle Zhang and Jackie Rangel said the turnout continues to grow each year.
“Every year, the bookstores report between a two- and eight-time increase in sales and foot traffic,” Zhang said. “That’s awesome.”
Rangel added the goal is to keep local bookstores thriving.
“We love independent bookstores, and we want to make sure people know about them so they can support them and keep that small, local vibe in Austin,” she said.
The boost was especially noticeable for participating stores. Abby Strite, owner of Birdhouse Books & Gifts in the Allandale neighborhood, said a typical busy Saturday brings in around 60 to 70 transactions. During last year’s Book Trail, that number jumped to more than 250 in a single day.
“I didn’t know how I could have prepared for that,” Strite said. “So this year, I made sure I did.”
The event also highlighted community support.
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Participants paint the dragon’s eye during a traditional “eye-dotting” ceremony, a ritual believed to awaken the dragon and bring it to life ahead of the races.Courtesy of The Lunar Foundation