Quiet Days

As the summer spins out it's later days, activity in town and at the shop has gotten slower. The coffee shop next door, my neighbor since I opened in April (and for three years prior to my arrival in Honeoye) is closing at the end of this month. The hours have been cut back over the past few weeks and both yesterday and today, it wasn't open at all. People who come looking for their java fix, or smoothie fix, depending on tastes and temperatures, are left sadly unfulfilled. It wasn't in my plans to provide coffee, especially since the Red Coyote Coffee House and Mackerel Sky Books & More share an entrance,  back door too, as a matter of fact. However, for my own enjoyment and possibly that of my customers it may be something to consider.
The school across the road will be welcoming the students and teachers back from vacation in just a couple of weeks. Hopefully, this will increase foot traffic and sales. E-mails and updates have gone out in advance of the 2010-2011 school year beginning and the elementary school librarian had alerted me to her plans for an author visit to occur in a couple of months. We hope to coordinate a sales program in conjunction with the event.
As town residents find me here, due to word of mouth, from ads or stories in local newspapers and finally noticing the big blue BOOKS banner hanging in front of the shop, sales have gradually increased. I hope to capitalize on my convenient location, right nearby the only drugstore, grocery store and convenience store in town for the holiday season. It's much easier to come to the local 'retail center' than to drive 18 miles or more in snow or ice to shop for anything other than groceries and aspirin. Even though this shop is small, all my customers know that any book or gift item they are looking for can be ordered and delivered in a timely manner.
As summer runs out, the seasonal renters return home and the trees begin to take on their fall finery, I am working to make sure the autumnal leaf peepers and returning school-age-kid families will take advantage of 'that cool little shop over by Subway'.