Daisy felt more hopeful than she had in days. 'What do you mean?'
'Well, companies like GayesBooks aren't just looking for any old retail space. They're looking for locations where they can establish a foothold and then expand. They want places with good footfall, loyal customer bases, and preferably, competitors they can easily undercut. But they also want places where they won't face too much opposition, because bad publicity costs money and can affect their expansion plans elsewhere.'
'So, you think they might actually be put off by the campaign?'
'I think they might be reconsidering whether Pretty Beach is worth the hassle. The thing about corporate chains is that they're ultimately about profit margins and growth targets. If a location looks like it's going to be more trouble than it's worth, wouldn’t they just move on to easier targets?'
‘I feel as if they will probably decide to push ahead regardless.'
Lotta nodded. 'Then you don't try to compete on their terms, because you'll lose. You compete on your terms.'
'Which means what, exactly?'
'It means you give people something that GayesBooks can't. You’re already doing it and that is why it’s gone so well: personal service, curated recommendations, events that bring the community together, a space that feels like home rather than a retail outlet. You make your bookshop indispensable in ways that have nothing to do with price or convenience.'
Daisy thought about her regular customers, the ones who came in not just to buy books but to chat about what they'd been reading, to ask for recommendations for their book clubs, to bring their children for story time. She thought about the reading corner that had become a gathering place for local mums, and the events she'd started hosting with Lotta’s followers. 'I suppose I am already doing some of that.'
'You're doing more than some of it. You're creating exactly the sort of community hub that big chains can't replicate.’
‘It’s all so horribly unknown.’
'I've been running book events and working with independent bookshops for a while now. I've seen shops face all sorts of challenges - online competition, rising rents, changing reading habits, and yes, corporate chains moving in nearby. The shops that survive and thrive aren't necessarily the ones with the best locations or the biggest marketing budgets. They're the ones that understand their community and give people reasons to keep coming back that have nothing to do with just buying books.'
Daisy absorbed this, turning it over in her mind. 'So, you think the bookshop could survive even if GayesBooks does move in?'
'I think your bookshop has something that no corporate chain can replicate, which is you. Your personality, your taste, your relationships with your customers, and your understanding of what Pretty Beach needs. That's not something that can be mass-produced or rolled out across multiple locations.'
'But surely some people will be tempted by lower prices and more convenience?'
'Some will, absolutely. But others will value what you offer more than they value saving a few pounds and word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing tool there is, especially in a place like Pretty Beach.'
'I suppose I have been building that kind of customer loyalty without really thinking about it.'
'Exactly and that's something that takes time to develop. GayesBooks can't offer years of relationship-building and community trust. At least not straight away.'
Daisy nodded and took another sip of tea. Lotta certainly sounded as if she knew what she was talking about and she’dbeen in the game for a while, for sure. Daisy, however, wasn’t quite as confident or positive, really. Deep down, she felt that the only thing that would save the bookshop in the long term was a miracle and how was one of those going to happen in a place like Pretty Beach?
40
Daisy was restocking the children's section when Holly burst through the bookshop door. Her face looked so different from usual that Daisy wasn’t quite sure what it meant or that she wanted to know. Holly’s face wore a strange, almost manic grin that suggested either exponentially good news or complete and utter madness. She had Xian behind her, both of them looking like they'd hot-footed it from the bakery like a couple of women possessed. There was something in their expressions that made Daisy's heart skip with cautious hope that it was good news.
Holly hooted. ‘Daise! We need champagne! Proper champagne, not fizzy wine. We have news and it calls for celebration.’
‘What calls for celebration?’ Daisy frowned. Holly's energy was infectious and Xian was practically bouncing on her toes.
‘The newsagent’s place! It's ours.’
Daisy blinked. ‘What do you mean, it's yours?’
Holly pulled out her phone and waved it triumphantly. ‘We bought it this morning. We gazumped GayesBooks and the Thornton family accepted our offer immediately.’
‘Sorry, what? You bought it?’ Daisy's voice came out as barely a whisper. ‘How? Why? What are you going to do with it?’
‘We're going to make sure no corporate chain ever gets their hands on it,’ Xian said firmly. ‘We pooled our resources, called in a few favours, and made an offer the Thorntons couldn't refuse. GayesBooks can go and find somewhere else to destroy. They will not be getting their hands on Pretty Beach.’
Daisy's legs suddenly felt unsteady. ‘You bought an entire building to stop GayesBooks opening?’
‘We bought an entire building to protect Pretty Beach. Your bookshop was just their first target. If we'd let them get established here, they'd have set their sights on other independent businesses next. So, we thought we’d better put a stop to them before they started.’
