Grupo Nelson Spearheads Retail Initiative

by Carmen Ospina -- Críticas, 5/15/2006

Grupo Nelson’s VP and publisher, Larry Downs, thinks Spanish-language publishers should work together to grow the market. So, lately he has been busy talking to key industry heads, hoping to develop an initiative that may significantly grow the Spanish category in bookstores across the country. The plan: give readers the depth they need by creating a frontline group of Spanish-language publishers that provides core inventory lists to bookstores, be they beginner mom and pop stores or chains.

“Buyers have been trying out the many best seller lists that we bring to them individually featuring our own best sellers. But for Spanish customers to walk into the stores, the Spanish section must have everything, not just, say, Grupo Nelson’s top sellers,” Downs explains. “Buyers are also frustrated with stock availability. We need to be able to say ‘Here’s the best of Spanish, and it is in stock.’”

Though the initiative is still on the works, Santillana USA, Urano Publishing, Planeta Publishing, and of course, Grupo Nelson, have expressed interest (Mexico’s Océano is anticipating joining). Each publisher will provide its own core inventory list, which will include the titles that make up 80% of its sales. Downs will then arrange the compiled data and provide the final breakdown of the ranking by subject category. After all publishers agree on the rankings within the categories, these will be broken down to four different planagrams (diagrams that show how books should be placed on retail shelves) for quick store identification: Level A (32 feet of Spanish), level B (16 ft.), level C (8 ft.), and for beginner stores, level D (4 ft.). Bookstore buyers will purchase directly from each publisher.

Downs believes that booksellers who are willing to start a Spanish section but don’t know what to buy, will benefit the most from the initiative. “We’re asking them to invest in four to eight feet of Spanish and to really do it correctly and not just for a bottom shelve in the back of the store,” says Downs. His goal is also to target the English-language stores and their use and choice of product. Downs thinks even Barnes & Noble and Borders may notice that they’re missing some subject categories or that they are not yet carrying some of the titles on the list. He thinks the lists could also work well with library clients.

Overall, the initiative seeks to help buyers see strong results at all levels, including sales per square foot, inventory turns, and consumer confidence. “A simple phrase that I concentrate on is ‘Success breeds success,’” says Downs. “If our retailers sell more Spanish titles, then we will all win.”