Meet Laura Sharp of Gilbert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Sharp.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
I’m a lifelong book lover, and owning a bookstore has always been a “castle in the sky” for me. In the last few years, our world has started to feel increasingly divisive; books, for me, are a way to change that. I believe that books can expose us to life experiences and people we would never have had the opportunity to learn from. They can make us more empathetic and curious and help us think critically. Opening a children’s bookstore, specifically stocking books that create connection, spark curiosity, and inspire joy, seemed like the best way for me to make a difference.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a twisty, turny, bumpy road! I’m a one-woman shop and have never owned a retail business before. The learning curve has been steep – taxes, marketing, supply chain issues – every day, I learn something new! We’re still in our first year of business, so we’re learning what partnerships work for us, how to budget appropriately (especially when we want to stock all the books!), and what markets and pop-ups work best for us. A huge struggle is that the profit margin on books is razor-thin. Some of the huge conglomerates that sell books as loss leaders can make it incredibly difficult to compete. We want to bring a brick-and-mortar location to host events for our community (story times, author visits, and more), a safe space for children to hang out, and give back to the East Valley community. To do that, we will have to rely on the East Valley community to shop locally in exchange for the value added by a local bookshop. We’re being as creative as we can with our offerings in our pop-up format and are so grateful for the community response we’ve seen thus far!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We curate every book on our shelves, selling books that create connection, spark curiosity, and inspire joy. One of my favorite things is when a parent comes to me looking for a book. To help their child in a specific situation, for example, a shy child, a child who is struggling with really big emotions, or a child who has never seen themselves on the pages of a book before. Finding the right book for that parent and child to work through that challenge together is the highlight of any day. One of our specialties is curated book stacks. These allow customers to fill out a questionnaire about their readers, and then we build a custom stack of books just for that person. These are great gifts! We offer book registries for teachers, baby showers, and avid readers. These allow anyone to build an online book registry and share a link with the general public. We’re also proud of the book club we’re launching this fall, Books4Buddies. It’s a program designed to build connection and fun between readers bonding over a book. In addition to the books, customers get an activity guide built around the book that helps them connect in various ways.

Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share? We’re always looking for lessons we can learn in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis.
I was planning to launch the fall after COVID hit but suddenly found myself with an online elementary schooler and a homeschool preschooler. I had to put a lot of plans on hold but learned so much from watching other small businesses adapt. Those lessons shape what we are doing even today – our pop-up format, our online store, and our whole business plan changed due to Covid-19.

Pricing:

• Curated Book Stacks start at $50
• Bargain Books as low as $4

Contact Info:

• Website: www.literallybookshop.com
• Instagram: @literallybookshop
• Facebook: @literallybookshop

Image Credits
Deb Falco Photography