Retail business success: Poisoned Pen

Book retailing is competitive ... the big-box bookstore chains and Amazon.com are running many independent retailers out of business. The Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona succeeds by specializing in hard to find Canadian and British crime fiction. 70% of sales are from mail order. Barbara Peters is branching out into a new location in Phoenix, but it won't be as specialized. Let's hope the movement away from a niche doesn't hurt this successful retail store. The Poisoned Pen website.

Find a niche! Selling imported products that aren't generally available elsewhere is a good idea. Expanding your retail marketing through mail order and the Internet is an even better idea.