Reading buyers pays off

A NEW CHAPTER: Barrington Books has succeeded by adapting to changing times, introducing The Studio, where it sells high-quality, unique toys. Pictured above, from left, owners Stephen and Dana Shechtman, with General Manager Jennifer Massotti. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
A NEW CHAPTER: Barrington Books has succeeded by adapting to changing times, introducing The Studio, where it sells high-quality, unique toys. Pictured above, from left, owners Stephen and Dana Shechtman, with General Manager Jennifer Massotti. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Two months after Dana and Stephen Shechtman bought Barrington Books, an independent bookstore, in 2008, the Rhode Island economy started its long decline.

The Shechtmans analyzed their sales and quickly reached a conclusion: They had to think beyond books. “No brick-and-mortar carrying one product was going to survive,” said Dana Shechtman.

About that time, an independent toy store next to their shop closed. It was once one of three toy stores in Barrington. So the Shechtmans expanded into this space, and introduced “The Studio,” where they featured unique, high-quality toys.

“And that has just blossomed,” said Shechtman.

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The bookstore today is also thriving. An expansion to a second store is planned this year in Cranston’s Garden City Center.

In a time when online retailers seem to dominate, Shechtman said she’s learned that people will support independent stores where they feel a sense of connection to the people there.

The bookstore has a space for book clubs, and a dedicated space for children to read while their parents browse. The book inventory includes bestsellers, but also unusual books that people might not find anywhere else. The store subscribes to a list that will tell them what customers are reading at independent stores across the country.

Shechtman listens to her customers, to the point where a notebook is kept at the front counter for employees to take down people’s suggestions or requests. The owners will research the request, and let the customer know if it’s something that will be added.

Customers who were looking for toys inspired the addition of the toy area, where the Shechtmans now have a range of toys, from Hula Hoops to LEGO products.

Residents in the Barrington area have been extremely supportive of the bookstore, to the point where Shechtman said it isn’t really just a retail store. “It’s a community hub,” she said. “The key to brick-and-mortar is the human interaction.”

The decision to expand to a second location in Cranston followed requests from customers, and after research by the Shechtmans. Many of the inquiries about other store locations came from residents of the West Bay communities, who would drive to Barrington Books, Shechtman said.

The new location will be called Barrington Books Retold. The original store employs about 18 to 25 people, depending on demand. The plan is to hire about that number for the new site, she said. Garden City Center is an open-air shopping center.

The Shechtmans chose the location because of the potential for foot traffic.

The store will be in a new phase of the shopping center, now under construction.

“Our mission is to create another experience over there that follows the model of what we did here,” Shechtman said. •

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