Revitalizing cities
Vanessa Muller thus crosses the whole of Gaume. All of it? No, the small town of Virton is still resisting her truck. “Only the Commune of Virton has not answered me, but otherwise I am already going to Toernich, Villers-devant-Orval, Lamorteau, Dampicourt, Musson, Mussy-la-Ville, Lahage, to the Halle de Han”says the resident of Bleid.
For three weeks, many customers have already climbed the steps of the van. Curious or future loyal customers, the initiative seems to please in any case. “It is well received, the entrepreneur rejoices. People seem to be embracing it, and even on the Facebook page, the comments are positive. Everyone seems happy. The goal is to reach out to people and bring back the taste for reading. Contact, too. Previously, I was a home hairdresser, so I was already on the road. It’s a more personal contact than in a store or a big bookstore.”
A varied choice
The most difficult thing for the bookseller: choosing the references. The limited space in the van obviously does not allow for stocking many shelves, so you have to be strategic. “For the moment, I take a bit of everything and I will see as I go along what my customers want to better target the orders. For the moment, I am still expecting a lot of orders with the literary rentrées that are starting. There is everything, for all ages, for the visually impaired, Belgian writers and even more those from the region. I will try to organize signing sessions to make them known. I also have board games for toddlers. I try to vary.” To complete the assortment, many second-hand books at low prices fill the shelves to encourage even more reading.
Now, Vanessa Muller is hitting the road, ready to make the costly investment of nearly €40,000 for the van and its conversion profitable – not counting the stock. But for her, the love of books and reading is priceless.
