“Enchanted Books”: a place of culture and meetings in Chaulnes

The bookstore and tearoom “Livres enchantés” is an unusual place for a town of 2,000 inhabitants where there are not many shops left, especially since independent bookstores located in larger cities, in competition with large brands, are themselves experiencing difficulties. In Chaulnes, this small bookstore has been open and holding out since 2016, after having refined this project for about eight years.

A carefully considered project

“Following a trip to England, we discovered the principle of bookstores – tea rooms where people meet, drink tea, buy books and talk about literature. We really liked these places and we wanted to open an independent general bookstore with a tea room like the ones we had seen. In 2008, we decided to come and settle in Santerre and bought this old shop in the heart of the city. For eight years, we worked on the project. We know that “culture” mainly happens in the city and we wanted to bring it to people’s homes.” explains Catherine, the manager, and her husband adds: “The more activity there is in a city center, the more people come. People attract people.”

These two book lovers have over 9,000 different titles to offer their customers. The sofas allow readers to settle in and discover the “gems” unearthed by the professionals. Once a month, the couple goes to Paris to buy books, board games and stationery. “We know our customers well. When we buy a book, we know who we can offer it to. We do a lot of research. We are passionate and spend many hours in the store.”emphasize Catherine and Didier. They believe that in this place of life, “There would be work for four people”.

Diversify and make yourself known

Unfortunately, the manager also notes that not many customers come through the shop’s doors. “Yesterday, a lady from Chaulnes came in for the first time and didn’t know we existed after eight years of being open. If every household in our town came once a year to make a purchase of 10 euros, that would give us a breath of fresh air.”

So to diversify its clientele and make itself known, “Livres enchantés” works with town halls which appreciate the services offered. “For children’s Christmas trees, some municipalities choose to offer books. They give us the number of children, their ages, and we choose the appropriate books. We also offer gift wrapping with the children’s names, a time-saver that customers appreciate.”notes Catherine. The bookstore also accepts “culture” checks, “reading” checks and “college” checks.