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ten times larger than your current location .

The Saratoga Springs store came at the right time . Ed and Barbara were thinking about retirement and making plans to turn Northshire over to Chris , their son . Opening a new store was the kind of challenge Chris lived for . He recalls it was one of the most memorable times in his career .

“ It was my baby ,” he said . “ I designed it . I hired the people .”

Atmosphere is an important part of any good retail environment . The staff at the stores take care to add homey touches to the decor . The Manchester Center Store features a breathtaking wrought iron banister rail to the second floor , and a wood burning stove in the cookbook section ( where else ?). What appears to be a cluttered store in both locations is , in fact , a marvel of effective retailing .

Both Northshire Bookstores have become community meeting places . A half-dozen book-related clubs call the two stores home . Customers gather for cooking demonstrations , informational meetings about about the environment , living in New England , and much more . Almost always there is , of course , a book connection . There have been appearances by numerous authors , including John

Irving , Steven King , John Grisham , David McCullough , Doris Kerns Goodwin , Rachel Maddow , Jeffery Toobin , and biggest event yet –– Neil Gaiman .”

Both stores employ a full-time staffer whose sole responsibility is booking authors and speakers , and coordinating events . The secret to attracting authors , said Chris , lies in constant exchanges with publishers , publicists , and other members of the book industry . He adds it is a task that has been made more difficult by publishers cutting back on author tours . Nonetheless , Northshire has packed the house of both stores on many occasions . The events often require that the stores take reservations .

Between both stores , Northshire employs 50 people , with another 39 of what Chris refers to as full-time equivalent positions . Their best employees are avid readers , of course , which is reflected in the shelf talkers that adorn both stores .

“ Shelf talkers are one of the reasons people like independent bookstores ,” said Chris . “ They are consistently remarked on and appreciated by our customers .”

As businesspeople the Morrow family , both Ed and Barbara as well as Chris , have also learned the value of non-book sales . In addition to books , both Northshire stores carry art supplies , board games , clothing , upscale candies , unique kitchen gifts and lots more . According to Chris , non-book sales account for anywhere between 25 % and 35 % of total sales .

Multiple streams of incomes at Northshire extend into other areas , most notably in selfpublishing . Shires Press was started in 2008 . The entity was actually an early beta-tester for the Expresso Machine , but now reproduction has gone to digital offset printing . Shires Press publishes local authors as well as public domain content . People like the diversity of offerings and it expands the stores offering to their customer base .

Ed Morrow cited the “ malling of America ” as one of the early molding forces of Northshire , but in the intervening years there has been a slow return to Main Street America . It is an energy that has served Northshire well . Both stores are in the heart of a bustling downtown area . The next time you ’ re in Manchester Center or across the state line in Saratoga Springs , check out the heart of downtown . That ’ s where you ’ ll find Northshire Bookstore .

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