Small business owner Francine Lucidon believes the localism movement of “put your money where your house is” is gaining momentum, and people are realizing the economic benefits of shopping closer to home.
“I get a sense that people are tired of a big, anonymous shopping experience,” Lucidon, owner of The Voracious Reader in Larchmont, a young adult and children”™s bookstore. said. “We take part in community events and do all the things that Amazon and the big chain stores don”™t do.”Â
There are fewer than 10 independent bookstores in Westchester, according to Newpages.com, which offers a listing of independent bookstores across the country.Â
“I really want to serve as a community hub for readers and their families,” Lucidon said. “If somebody walks in, I know their child, I know what they like to read and I know what books the child will love. That”™s something I think an independent bookstore can provide.”
The store has popular programs such as “Fridays with Franklin” during which children read to a King Charles Cavalier (who has his own fan base) and “free pizza and books” nights for teens.
Across from the train station on Broad Street, a small, independent bookstore thrives in Port Chester.
Libreria Ficciones, owned by Paula Farrier, serves the heavily Hispanic population”™s book lovers with a selection of Spanish literature, bestsellers by Latin American authors and the increasingly popular self-help books.
It is the only bookstore in Port Chester.
“I love books, and I always wanted to have a bookstore,” said Farrier, a native of Colombia who now lives in Rye Brook.
Farrier said she often heard friends complain about the limited selection of Spanish- language books in chain bookstores, and Farrier herself would often go into Manhattan to find her favorite books in the language.
“It”™s quite hard to find a Spanish bookstore,” Farrier said.
Farrier spent several months preparing the store when she opened two years ago, and though she had no customers those first few days, little by little, she started gaining a reputation among bibliophiles.
“I”™m starting to have a lot of regular customers,” Farrier said. “It”™s very much a community store.”
In addition to having a selection of 90 percent Spanish-language books, Farrier”™s store sells colorful handmade Colombian jewelry, some of it made by her sister, Carolina Londono.
Farrier, who has a master”™s degree in Spanish literature, also does graphic design, publicity, business cards, menus, Web pages and fliers for customers, because “everybody wants to advertise” during an economic downturn.
She writes for a monthly newspaper, America Latina, which serves the communities of Port Chester and Rye Brook. Farrier has gotten to know many customers through her work at the paper.
Farrier said an independent bookstore must specialize in at least one area in order to survive in the face of competition from bookstore chains and online retailers.
“What sets us apart is that we”™ve been in business 37 years, we have a very knowledgeable staff and excellent customer service,” said Joan Ripley, owner of Second Story Book Shop in Chappaqua. “We”™re not clerks, we”™re booksellers.”
Ripley said with online retailers such as Amazon.com coming on so strong, all independent stores are threatened.
Although the store has a loyal customer base, “you have to constantly replace that,” Ripley said.
Ripley said the store specializes in gift baskets of books, children”™s events and book signings.
“Shopping in America has changed,” Ripley said. “Younger generations don”™t shop the way older generations do.”
