Page 32 of Whispers at The Bookshop Pretty Beach
Holly perched on the edge of the counter, her diamond earrings catching the light as she shook her head. ‘It's about the old newsagent’s building. The one down the road here that's been empty since Mr Thornton retired.’
Daisy frowned. ‘What about it?’
‘My friend works at the estate agent's office in the next town over. The one that's handling the sale, which in itself is odd. Anyway, she called me because she thought I should know what was happening.’
‘What exactly is happening?’
Holly shook her head. ‘Well, we’ve put two and two together.’
Xian leant forward in her chair. ‘That couple who were in here a few weeks back, the posh ones you told us were asking all those questions about your business. They’ve been into a few of our shops, too. Long story short they are looking into buying the building.’
‘Buying it for what?’
Holly’s face had never looked quite as unlined. ‘According to our sources, they're not just any old property developers. They're working with a big chain bookshop. GayesBooks.’
The name hit Daisy like a physical blow. GayesBooks was a nationwide chain that had been systematically taking over prime locations across the country. It was essentially a fancy high-end coffee chain which sold bestsellers at discount prices independent shops couldn't possibly match. She'd read about how they had moved in and driven out the competition all over the place.
‘In Pretty Beach? We don’t have stuff like that here. Why would they want to be here?’ Daisy sank into the chair behind the counter, her legs suddenly feeling unsteady. The old newsagent's was bigger than hers, with better street access and room for the sort of modern retail setup that GayesBooks specialised in. If they opened there, with their bulk-buyingpower, their marketing budget and their ability to sell books at less than supermarket prices, she'd be finished within months. ‘How do you know all this?’
Holly explained. ‘We got wind of it from various places. The Thornton family have been getting offers on the building for months, but nothing serious. Then this couple turned up. They're not just interested in buying, they're talking about major renovations, complete refitting, the works. Apparently, they are looking at a whole host of towns on the coast.’
‘It’s definitely GayesBooks?’ Daisy asked for clarification.
‘According to what has gone around the grapevine, they were discussing square footage requirements and something about needing space. The sort of setup that brings in customers and keeps them there for hours.’
Daisy thought about her own little space, with its eclectic jumble of furniture and temperamental coffee machine. She was proud of the cosy atmosphere she'd created, the way customers lingered in the reading chairs and chatted about books they'd enjoyed. But it all seemed pathetically amateur compared to what GayesBooks would offer. She’d read an article on Substack about the juggernaut that was GayesBooks, which was mostly about overpriced artisan coffee with a slashed price publisher-driven book section on the side thrown in for good measure. ‘When is this supposed to happen?’
Xian and Holly exchanged a look. ‘Jenny from the estate agent said that the surveyor's going in soon. If everything checks out structurally, they're hoping to exchange contracts pronto.’
Daisy felt the walls of the bookshop closing in around her. Everything she'd worked for, everything she'd built, could be wiped out before Christmas.
Xian swigged from her flask. ‘There's more. Jenny said they'd done research on the local market and that they know about your shop. They've specifically identified you as the maincompetition and they've calculated how quickly they can capture your customer base once they open. She didn’t want to come in herself and be the bearer of bad news, which is why we’re here.’
Daisy remembered the woman's pointed questions about profit margins and foot traffic. ‘All those questions about how much business I do, whether the shop's profitable. She wasn't just being nosy; she was doing market research. I knew it, too.’
‘That's what it sounds like. It was a professional reconnaissance to make sure Pretty Beach was worth the investment. They came into us, too.’
Daisy stared around at the bookshop that had become her world. The fairy lights strung above the fiction section, the library trolley she'd rescued from Facebook Marketplace, the corner where regular customers liked to sit and read. It had taken her so much work to get everything just right, to build up the customer base and create the atmosphere that made people want to come back. She thought about all the hours she’d spent on social media, making reels and responding to comments. GayesBooks could replicate all of it in a matter of weeks, but bigger and slicker and for sure cheaper. They'd have the latest bestsellers on release day and branded coffee instead of her ancient machine that only worked when it felt like it. They'd have professional displays instead of her handwritten recommendation cards. ‘How do I compete with a chain? I wouldn’t even know where to start.’
‘You don't compete with them.’ Xian was firm. ‘You give people something different and better. It’s the only way.'
Daisy rolled her eyes. ‘Like what? Personal service and a cosy atmosphere? That's not going to matter when customers can save money.’
Holly slid off the counter and put her hands on her hips. ‘Right, listen to me, Daisy Henley. We're not just going to roll over and let some corporate chain destroy what you've builthere. Pretty Beach isn't London. People here value independent businesses; they care about community and each other. They don't want to see the high street turned into a clone of every other high street in the country.’
‘Do they care enough to pay more for their books, though? When times are tight and money's short, are they really going to choose loyalty over savings?’
Xian shook her head. ‘Some will and some won't, but you've got advantages they don't have. You know your customers personally, you can order in books they specifically want, and you can create events and experiences that bring people together. GayesBooks might sell more books, but they can't sell community.’
Daisy wanted to believe them, but the professional presentation she'd glimpsed from the woman and Marc suggested GayesBooks were in a different league. They'd probably researched exactly how to position themselves as enhancing rather than threatening the local community. ‘I need to call Mum and Miles. Everything I've worked for is about to be destroyed by people who see Pretty Beach as just another market opportunity.’ Daisy's voice cracked slightly on the last words.
‘The sale hasn't gone through, the shop hasn't opened, nothing's actually happened except some corporate types sniffing around. There's still time to figure out how to fight this.’ Holly shook her head.
‘Fight it how? I can't outbid GayesBooks for the building.’
‘You can offer them what you've always offered. The best little bookshop in Pretty Beach, run by someone who actually cares about books and the people who read them.’
Daisy looked around and tried to see the bookshop through the eyes of customers who might soon have a choice between her amateur operation and GayesBooks's professional efficiency.She had a horrible feeling she knew which one most people would choose.
