Sundance thrives in Reno book market
by Nathaniel Motshabi, Outpost staff
Dan
Earl
Visiting Sacramento, Calif., to buy books became
history as soon as Dan Earl decided to tap into Reno's book
market 14 years ago. Earl left the casino industry to invest
in the city's book retail business and effectively shortened
the distance shoppers had to travel to buy books.
OCCUPATION: Co-owner of Sundance Bookstore
RENO RESIDENT SINCE: 1978
When he launched Sundance bookstore in 1985, Walden, Independent Bookstore and a few small religious bookstores were the few bookstores in the city. The number has since grown to five general bookstores and two to three religious ones, Earl said.
Sundance, which primarily caters to McQueen High School and the northwest Reno, keeps growing with the continuous increase of population in Reno in the past 15 to 20 years. It developed a market for textbooks with high school and elementary school teachers. It also secured the position as a source for psychologists, psychiatrists and marriage counselors.
"They discussed a psychology self-help section and gave us many suggestions for books they want to recommend to their clients," Earl said.
Things took a difficult turn, though, when mega stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders entered the market. Earl said the competition was stiff during the past five years and sales growth lagged because of a tussle for the market with new investors.
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Sundance Bookstore thrives in Reno's book
market. The store, co-owned by Dan Earl , started
in 1985. |
Not all books give financial returns to sellers. The demand for romance and travel books fluctuates. Psychology, medical books and fictions consistently do well. No independent bookseller would carry a high volume of academic books. But Sundance, as an independent bookseller in town, would order a book for a customer.
With Sundance secure in the Reno community, Earl expressed confidence in the book business.
"I see good times ahead," he said. "Reno is growing and the economy is good."
He said although the introduction of e-commerce makes traditional bookstores "lose some part of the business," Sundance will always have a place in the community.
"The media have been reporting that the Internet (book sellers) will wipe us out, but I don't see that happening," Earl said. "There is something about going to a bookstore and comparing four or five books."
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Posted Dec. 16,
1999
Copyright 1999, Nevada Outpost
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