Publishers Weekly - August 28, 2017

News

16

The product mix at Kinokuniya stores
encompasses a wide range of books—of
which 30% are in Japanese—and side-
lines, including manga, anime-related
toys, games, and other media. “Our line
of Japanese manga and anime is unsur-
passed in North America,” Ono said. “A
big part of the appeal for customers is
that we have things you cannot buy any-
where else. We have a special relation-
ship with [publisher] Kadokawa, and
they work exclusively with us on many
items. Manga is definitely the strongest
category, but fashion and design is also
very popular. Another strong category is
literature; what makes us unique is that
we specialize in literary works from
around the world, especially Japanese
and Asian authors.”
Ono stresses that the authentic
Japanese products are part of what has
helped the company keep a foothold in a
very competitive marketplace. Still, the
retailer is a bookseller first, with non-
book items representing 20%–40% of
stock, depending on location.

The stores, said Ono, serve as “ambas-
sadors” for Japanese culture to American
shoppers. The demographic of customers
shopping at the stores has changed over
time. “My impression is that, 20 years
ago, more than half of our customers
came from Japanese backgrounds,” Ono
said. “Today, that number is probably
down to about 20% or less.”
As such, Kinokuniya is becoming
more active in its stores’ communities.
The two bookstores in Texas recently
participated in Texas Independent
Bookstore Day, the New York store rou-
tinely holds author events and book sign-
ings in conjunction with Bryant Park,
and several of the California stores hold
children story-time readings and offer
classes in Japanese subjects, such as ori-
gami paper folding.

The stores are in no way standardized. “Our goal is to give each store the appeal of an independent bookstore, rather than the cold feel of a massive corporation,” Ono said. “Our slogan is ‘read books, meet people,’ and tailoring our stores to the surrounding communities is a key part of making that slogan a reality. If you compare our stores in Texas, New York, Tokyo, and Singapore, you will be surprised at how much they differ. But they, as a whole, form the Kinokuniya brand, of which we are very proud. We strive to make Kinokuniya not just a place to buy books, but a place where people come together and enjoy the experience.” —Ed Nawotka

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ AUGUST 28, 2017 five stationery stores under the brand name Mitsuwa.

“We are expanding slowly and deliberately,” Ono said. “Just one or two stores per year. Last year was phenomenal, as we saw double-digit percentage increases at our stores. This year’s increases are more modest, ranging from about 5%-8%, depending on the store, but we are still very happy with the continuous growth. Adding new stores helped further increase the total sales for the company.”

Jill McElmurry

1954–2017

Beloved illustrator and friend IN MEMORIAM

Illustration © Jill McElmurry

lbt_mcelmurry_memorium.indd 1 8/22/17 9:53AM

Feature: Illustrated Gift Books

Issue: Oct. 2

Deadline: Aug. 30

Needed: Information about forthcoming illustrated books of for adults, including ar t, photography, architecture, travel, etc. Pub. dates: January–December 2017 (no reprints). Email pitches to dpatrick@ publishersweekly.com by August 30 and put “Call for Info: Illustrated Gift Books” in the subject line.