Company: Tattered Cover Bookstore
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
Industry: Retail Book Sales
Company Size: Small (annual revenues of less than $50 million)

"The Tattered Cover supports the arts because the arts, specifically literary, but in reality all arts, are our business. Book selling is our lifeblood, artists are our suppliers. We depend on the flourishing of ideas and expression."
                – Joyce Meskis, Owner

Objectives
To heighten awareness of the store and its services, to increase interest in literature and books, to enrich the quality of life in the community, and to increase traffic and sales.

Process

• The Tattered Cover Book Store sponsors an employee-judged bookmark design and writing contest for K-12 students. All participants received certificates of merit and winners received gift certificates for books. Winners were also invited to display their bookmarks or read their works in the store. All participating students, their families and friends, as well as the public, were invited to a reception in the store to mark the opening of the exhibition. The winning bookmarks were also printed and given to customers with purchases.
• Each year the store partners with state and local literary organizations, businesses and community organizations to present the Rocky Mountain Book Festival which features the Colorado Book Awards, a celebrity book auction, children’s programming, book art demonstrations, storytelling and
  book signings.
• As part of Tattered Cover’s in-store activities, arts professionals from the Denver area are invited to perform for, and interact with, customers. Additionally, the store developed TC Classic Cinema, a free movie screening and discussion group hosted by a nationally known film critic. Tattered Cover works with a local gallery to display literary-themed art works throughout the store, and The Fourth Story, the store’s restaurant, also holds rotating exhibitions of works by local artists in its foyer. All of the works on display are for sale.

Results
Tattered Cover’s sponsorship of the arts attracts customers to its store and restaurant, and results in increased sales, in addition to broadening interest in the arts and providing artists with new opportunities to show and discuss their work. The Rocky Mountain Book Festival also boosts the economic vitality of Denver by increasing business for hotels, restaurants and retail stores.

« back to Case Studies