Barbara’s to Launch Children’s Bookstore Online

By Judith Rosen -- Publishers Weekly, 6/12/2008 8:00:00 AM

Chicago-based Barbara’s Bookstore, which recently opened a set of bookstores in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport with the Hudson Group, has a new venture: an online children’s bookstore. LittleOneBooks.com, which Barbara’s is starting with Music Art Design International (a record label in Seattle), is aimed at parents and grandparents of children up to age five. The site is currently being beta-tested for a September launch.

“No consumer has more indecision than someone buying for a child,” says Barbara’s book buyer Janet Bailey, who co-owns the stores with her husband Don Barliant. “We’re trying to re-create the handselling relationship online. We’re going to have a handpicked selection of books, music CDs and videos. It will be driven by age appropriateness.” Electronic shelftalkers, Bailey adds, will indicate why each item was chosen.

The fact that children’s has been a strong area for Barbara’s was one factor that led to the decision to start a children’s-only book business. Grandparenthood was another. Barliant and Bailey, who have five grandchildren, say that their friends have trouble selecting books for their grandkids, and have no idea what the child should be reading.

Grandchildren were also a factor for LittleOne COO Joan McCoy and CEO Barry Cohen of MADI, who will handle music buying. Cohen says that he and McCoy find it difficult to shop for their four grandchildren in brick-and-mortar stores and online. The former often have too many books to choose from, while the latter rely on lots of lists. “We’re trying to put children’s books and music into a contextual framework,” says Cohen, founder of Barney’s Goodtime Musicstore in Woodland, Calif., and entertainment wholesaler Valley Media. “We’re focusing on a narrow niche of products that we recommend. I miss being in retail; I miss the interaction with customers. Unfortunately the way the economics are, a physical location is almost unviable.”

For now, Barbara’s and MADI plan to start with three product categories: books, music and video. And they are considering adding games and puzzles in the near future. They have hired Ranny Levy, founder and president of KIDS FIRST!/Coalition for Quality Children’s Media, as video buyer.