“We’re still here. » Audrey Gaimon spent a « cap »Friday November 8, 2024. That of his two years at the head of the downtown Chinon bookstore (1), Le Murmure. An anniversary that she wanted to celebrate in the presence of her most loyal customers.
This event is far from being anecdotal, as this sector is known to be difficult. According to the latest study by Xerfi, bookstores are, in fact, the least profitable businesses ahead of florists and shoe merchants, even if they experience, paradoxically, few closures.
“Customers told me that having a bookstore was the condition for moving to Chinon”
If there was a boom in the creation of bookstores after Covid (more than five hundred have seen the light of day), the economic context comes to play spoilsport. For two years, book sales have been declining. And the French bookstore union is already recording a drop in turnover of 0.4% in 2024.
Audrey Gaimon is aware of this. “We are navigating into the unknown. We are in tight flow. There are unavoidable costs, such as charges. With the law on the single price of books, we cannot impact cost increases. You need cash flow and a following clientele. »
She also has to deal with high book delivery costs (around €800 per month for the Chinese bookseller). Which leads him to think about his way of selling: should you have choice or reduce your selection? For the moment, she remains on the first option. It has also enriched its offering of beautiful books (art, cooking, etc.) and children’s books for the end-of-year celebrations.
The bookseller has enriched its selection of children’s books for the end-of-year holidays.
© Photo NR, Oriane Cuenoud
Buying locally, “a militant act”
The formula seems to please the people of China. “Customers who have just settled told me that having a bookstore was the condition for moving to Chinon”smiles Audrey Gaimon. Proof of a real ” need “despite other local cultural actors (libraries, supermarkets, etc.). “No matter the frequency, buying in bookstores is like an activist act”insists the entrepreneur.
The latter can also count on the support of educational establishments in Chinon and its surroundings to place one-off or regular orders. “I have more and more requests from middle and high schools. » She also participates in the Young People in Bookstores scheme which allows students to benefit from vouchers to spend in her business.
“Nothing is certain”
On the other hand, its coffee business, intended to diversify its sources of income, has stopped. Too time-consuming and not very meaningful. Not enough to jeopardize her business, according to her. “I am making progress compared to last year, underlines Audrey Gaimon. I feel like I’m doing well but nothing is certain. You have to build loyalty. »
To do this, it plans to continue offering events. She will be Friday, November 22, at 7:15 p.m., at the Grand Chahut to present her favorites and will reveal, Tuesday, November 26, at 7 p.m., in her shop, the books from the literary season that moved her the most.
In Chinon, a dynamic book market
In Chinon, in addition to the traditional book players (library, press house, supermarkets, etc.), there are two other independent businesses in the town center specializing in the sale of books: the second-hand book store Au Bonheur du book, since 2023, and the Lacoste antiquarian bookstore, open for twenty years.
In Chinon, other independent bookstores keep the book market alive. This is the case of Liber & Vous, in Bourgueil, since 2021, and the Helma bookstore, in Azay-le-Rideau, opened in 2023.
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