The Mistress of Books: New boss in the bookstore Sirius

Created: 04/13/2022, 09:00

By: Sabina Brosch

No longer just a bookseller, but boss: Stephanie Schell in her bookstore Sirius.

She has been running the shop since January and has taken over the staff.

© sab

The Sirius bookshop in Garching has a new owner.

Stephanie Schell fully relies on the expanded online offering.

Garching

– The Sirius bookstore in Garching has been in new hands since January.

The new owner Stephanie Schell (46) is not worried about the future of her shop.

It combines on-site shopping with the digital world: an up-to-date homepage, web shop and social media channels.

The book "The Song of the Crayfish" by the American author Delia Owens is the best-selling book of 2021. More than 700,000 copies were sold worldwide, and the book was sold 190 times over the Sirius counter.

Customers often ask Schell if they have read the book themselves and can recommend it.

"It shows me that our team and my business are important," emphasizes Schell.

Customers appreciate the direct advice, precisely because the range of new publications and existing titles - around 70,000 new book titles come onto the German market every year - is difficult to keep track of.

The classic paper book is facing more and more competition from e-books, of which almost 36 million were sold in Germany in 2021.

"And yes, we also sell e-books," says Schell.

“The windows are our figurehead”

Of course, the smell of the book from paper, ink and binding still lingers in the shop.

Irresistible for those who just love to "stick their nose in a book".

However, the "magnificent dusty note" that is often associated with it is missing, as becomes clear when you look in and through the shop window.

The panes are boldly painted, attracting attention, behind them are the literary works, mostly sorted by subject.

“The windows are our flagship and we design them with passion.

That's the first thing the customer sees from us," says Schell.

The inside of the store is airy and bright, with bookmarks, small gifts, greeting cards and all sorts of seasonal knick-knacks.

"I didn't convert it, it wasn't necessary either," says Schell.

She also took over the workforce.

Schell attaches great importance to the fact that their regular customers feel comfortable, "the customers should be happy to come to us".

She has worked for Sirius as a career changer for twelve years and has been "the boss" since January.

Web shop a must

What Schell and her team have emphatically expanded is not only their presence on Facebook or Instagram, but also an attractive homepage.

"Of course we also sell books online, the customer orders from home and can pick it up from us." Goods can be delivered overnight, regardless of whether they are non-fiction or specialist books, thrillers or fiction.

Schell is even considering a 24-hour pick-up option, so customers are no longer tied to opening hours.

Fixed book prices protect the retail bookstores very well, "I'm glad about that." But there's no getting around a well-maintained website and online shop.

"That's important, without that you can't do it!" The fact that the classic bookshops are becoming fewer and fewer hasn't deterred her from taking the step of opening her own shop.

More news from Garching and the district of Munich can be found here.