(The following article is from the October 16-31, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

Special to PV

One of Canada's oldest bookstores faces a serious threat to its future. But manager Ray Viaud promises that "we won't close our doors without a fight to survive."

     Founded in 1945, the People's Cooperative Bookstore has been a fixture in Vancouver's cultural and political life for decades, especially among progressive activists. In the early 1980s, the store moved to its present location, 1391 Commercial Drive, in the heart of the city's most radical neighbourhood.

     The store has always been a member-controlled cooperative, electing a Board to oversee operations. Board members and other volunteers put in countless hours at book launches and other events. In recent years, the paid staff has included Viaud, assistant manager Jane Bouey, and Kathy Williams.

     This year's annual general meeting, held on Sept. 25, was presented with a detailed picture of the impact of the current economic crisis. Sales dropped significantly during the fiscal year ending in May 2009, and remained lower over the summer, cutting into the store's limited reserves. In response, the members voted to set up a committee to focus on immediate fundraising and ways to boost sales.

     Virtually every small retail store faces a similar problem these days: the decline in purchasing power of customers, many of whom have lost jobs or had their hours reduced.

     Independent booksellers face increasing pressures from giant chains such as Chapters/Indigo and the Amazon Books website. People's Co-op counters by providing excellent service, thanks to staff with a far wider knowledge of books than most clerks at the big chain stores. But the combination of lower prices and quick mail delivery has helped the chains drive hundreds of small booksellers out of business in recent years.

     The independents have also been hit hard by changes in the publishing industry, which itself has felt the sting of capitalist marketing pressures. Most publishers sell at lower costs to major purchasers like Chapters, making it even more difficult for small retailers to compete. Skyrocketing postal rates are another factor making it tougher for independents.

     People's Co-op has had a few unexpected tough breaks. Last December, a massive blizzard hit the entire Vancouver region just before Christmas - the highest-volume sales period of the year. Streets and sidewalks were blocked for days, and Ray Viaud estimates that the store missed out on perhaps $15,000 in sales. In the space of a week, the outlook went from tough to critical.

     Several members at the Sept. 25 meeting pointed to problems of location. Many Vancouverites who avoid big chains and malls have shifted their sights to the trendy Main Street neighbourhood. The progressive working class neighbourhood around Commercial Drive, once a lively shopping area, has seen a general decline in retail sales in the past few years, a pattern the bookstore had resisted until recently. But last year's closure of Magpie Magazines just a few doors down the block, far from helping People's Co-op, actually hurt sales from customers who had enjoyed visiting both stores.

     Then there's the physical structure of the store itself, located at street level but set back about three meters from the main sidewalk. That distance has been a long-standing frustration, making it difficult to attract the attention of potential customers.

     With all these problems, why were members at the AGM optimistic that the store has a chance to survive?

     Perhaps most important is the wide range of potential support from Vancouver's literary community and progressive movements.

     For many years, People's Co-op relied heavily on sales of books and magazines from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. That changed dramatically at the beginning of the 1990s. While the staff and the Board have maintained a solid selection of books on Marxist theory and the labour movement, they were also able to expand into other areas, especially the works of local authors.

     With a few big-name exceptions, Vancouver-area writers and poets have always found it difficult to get shelf space in major stores. Instead, they rely on independent booksellers, and People's Co-op gradually became recognized for its outstanding efforts to promote local writers. When other stores turn down outside events, People's Co-op has always been ready to help organize book launches and other activities, large or small. This persistent effort has built up a huge and loyal base of supporters, many of whom are coming forward to offer assistance.

     The same applies to the StopWar peace coalition, which for years has used the store as a distribution point for posters and leaflets, and a welcoming place to meet like-minded friends. One of the upcoming fundraisers for the store is being put together by long-time StopWar members.

     Another event is being planned by Conrad Schmidt, well-known empresario of huge dance parties to support environmental causes. Schmidt is also a leading figure in the Work Less Party, a fun-oriented movement which has helped mobilize against war and the U.S. drive for control of fossil fuels.

     Then there's the public education movement, which has a powerful ally in assistant manager Jane Bouey, currently serving a second term as a COPE School Board trustee in Vancouver. Bouey's years of leadership in campaigns to support public schools have helped to strengthen the store's customer base among teachers, staff and students.

     Bouey has also been a driving force in expanding the store's diverse stock of titles on women's issues and LGBT rights. Area residents who formerly had to travel to downtown or the west side for such books have been delighted to find a wide selection right on Commercial Drive.

     Among these and other sections of the population, People's Co-op Books would be deeply missed. Viaud and Bouey reported on dozens of offers to help. The committee established at the AGM includes New Star Books publisher Rolf Maurer, women's activist and author Nadine Chambers, former StopWar spokesperson Derrick O'Keefe (who is now the editor of the Rabble.ca website), comedian/activist Charlie Demers, anti-poverty activist Elwyn Patterson, and several more.

     Some efforts are already paying off. As the official bookseller at the Word on the Street Festival, held at the main Vancouver Library on Sept. 27, People's Co-op staff and volunteers racked up much higher sales than last year.

     While fundraising can help halt the recent losses, the key to long-term viability has to be a major increase in annual sales. Big efforts will begin during the weeks ahead to encourage Commercial Drive residents and activists in progressive movements to shop at People's Co-op and other independent retail outlets in the neighbourhood.

     The store's online presence is also expanding, which should help bring in much larger mail-order sales through the popular Book Manager website. (See sidebar for details.)

     The results of this campaign will be discussed at a special meeting of People's Co-op members in late January. That meeting should have enough information to make crucial decisions about the store's future. In the meantime, readers who want to help the campaign or become People's Co-op members can drop by the store (open 10-6 Monday to Saturday, and 1-5 pm on Sunday), or call 604-253-6442.

How to shop at People's Co-op - from anywhere!

Shopping for a good read at People's Co-op Books is just a few mouse-clicks away, no matter where you live.

     The Co-op is one of many Canadian bookstores serviced by the Book Manager website. Just go to http://www.bookmanager.com, then click on the box that says "BookManager's webstores." That takes you to a list of bookstores in every province, presented in alphabetical order.

     Find People's Co-op Books in the BC section, and one more click takes you directly to the store's own website. The front page features new releases and forthcoming titles. Click on "title browser" to find comprehensive, well-organized listings of thousands of titles in every major category. For complete details, click on any title to see prices, author, even a picture of the cover.

     Setting up an account through this system is easy. Anyone who has ever ordered books online through Amazon will find the Book Manager process equally simple.

     That's all there is to it. People's Voice readers can say goodbye to corporate mega-book profiteers, and get an astonishing range of progressive books delivered to your home from the oldest cooperative bookstore in Canada. Give it a try!

     Readers can also contact the store by email, at coopbks@telus.net, or by phoning toll-free during business hours, 1-888-511-5556.