“Newbery Honor” author Gail Carson Levine helped open the second First Page children’s bookstore, this one at the Newport Hills Center in Newport Beach.
Landing Levine, author of “Ella Enchanted,” is a coup in the world of children’s books. When big kids authors come to Orange County, they usually go to A Whale of a Tale in Irvine.
A Whale of a Tale has worked for years to establish itself as one of the best children’s bookstores in the nation. It’s where heavy hitters such as J.K. Rowling go when they’re on book signing tours.
First Page has moved up in the children’s book world since opening its first store on East 17th Street in Costa Mesa more than three years ago.
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First Page in Newport: first store in Costa Mesa |
Owner Christy Coyne plans to open more, though the market for independent bookstores is tough.
Even so, she said next year she plans to start selling books online and roll out a franchise plan for places similar to OC,educated and wealthy. Franchisees need to be knowledgeable about books and kids, she said. Retired teachers, librarians and single moms could be storeowners, she said.
“There are a lot of highly educated women who have retired from careers and wish to run a business but don’t have the opportunity,” Coyne said.
Her targets might not be the most business savvy or the wealthiest, Coyne said. That’s why she’s building First Page’s name and way of doing business to make franchises easy, she said.
Opening a store could cost $200,000 to $250,000, according to Coyne.
She markets her stores though schools, giving 5% of every sale to a school. Recently, First Page gave $7,000 in store credit to local schools and librarians.
There is room in the market for stores that specialize in children’s books, Coyne said.
The chains do well with adult books but not so well with children’s books, she said.
“My employees are required to read the books,” she said. “Employees are expected to know every single title.”
Finding people to work in her stores isn’t hard, Coyne said.
“There’s this whole community of people who are just wacko about children’s books,” she said.
These are the kinds of people who know how old Nancy Drew is in her books, Coyne said.
Coyne said she never planned to open a bookstore. It wasn’t until after she retired from law and became a mom that she began visiting children’s book sections. She saw a void and thought she could fill it.
She and her husband took out a loan on their home to open the stores. She’ll be looking for venture capital funding next year, she said.
Coyne was born and raised in Newport Beach, where she still lives.
Hilton on Hand
Socialite Nicky Hilton helped reopen Baccarat, a maker of crystal vases, bowls and other products, at South Coast Plaza last week. The event helped raise money for the Orange County Performing Arts Center. This is Baccarat’s third store in California. It has one in Palm Desert, the other in San Francisco.
Philippe Starck designed the 1,115-square-foot South Coast Plaza store, his first in the U.S. He began designing Baccarat boutiques in 2003. The store sells lamps, home decorations and jewelry. Baccarat’s headquarters and gallery is at a private mansion in Paris.
Greenwich, Conn.-based Starwood Capital LLC owns Baccarat. Its 12th store is expected to open this year at The Pier Shops at Caesars in Atlantic City, N.J.
Second Hand Rides
Suzuki motorcycle dealers plan to start selling used motorcycles and scooters. Brea-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. announced the company’s plan to sell “certified pre-owned” bikes during the recent National Motorcycle Dealer Meeting in Las Vegas. Suzuki is hoping to boost sales at dealerships.
Dealers plan to sell bikes with less than 30,000 miles. They have to pass a 77-point inspection. The motorcycles are set to come with a 90-day warranty and roadside help. Suzuki also is offering financing.
Online Auto Shift
J.D. Power and Associates recently gauged the shopping habits of more than 28,900 new vehicle buyers and found fewer were visiting automotive sections of big sites such as Yahoo.com or even those of Irvine-based Autobytel Inc. and CarsDirect.com Inc. in El Segundo.
Instead they’re going to those of Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book Co., Atlanta’s AutoTrader.com LLC and Consumer Reports. These sites do more to match buyers to vehicles as opposed to asking which make and model they are interested in buying, according to J.D. Power.
