Encouraging more Boffins

THE owners of independent bookshop Boffins have always done things a little differently, with customers offered a wide range of titles of a technical or specialist nature not available elsewhere.

So it was no surprise that, when it came time to ramp up the store’s image, it was done in a way uncommon for the industry.

An all-of-store overhaul took place over nine days recently and a very modern look, greater street presence and better lights are just some of the benefits.

About 15,000 books were moved, while everything from the bookshelves to carpet, to lights and counter tops were changed.

A new graphic design (featured on business cards, carry bags, mailing material, and stickers) and store layout is aimed at keeping Boffins contemporary, as well as attracting a new audience to the store, according to co-owner Bill Liddelow.

“Our main market is technical people, so we had to appeal to [a group from] programmers to business people,” he said.

“We’re not appealing to the literature market because we specialise as a technical bookshop.

“We’re trying to reach out more to designers, photographers, and fine art people.”

The computer books have been shifted from the new-look mezzanine level, which is now filled with design and photo books.

But there are still the same number of computer, business, science and other technical books in the store.

The redesign merely allows Boffins to better show off attributes that were already there, Mr Liddelow told WA Business News.

Mr Liddelow, who has owned the store with business partner Lou Pontarolo for 15 years, said the new bookshelves (which have wheels on the bottom) could be moved easily to create a space for functions such as book signings.