Don’t Forget to Ask Why

Motoko Rich, a reporter for The New York Times, found that Target customers are tossing more in their carts besides cleaning supplies and toiletries. They’re also buying books.

In her story about how the retailer has helped boost sales of relatively unknown authors and books, she cites an example of one book that sold only 2,000 copies when first published two years ago. After hitting Target’s Bookmarked Book Club, the book hit The New York Times' trade paperback fiction best-seller list.

Today’s Tip: Ask “Why?”

“It seems that a lot of interesting marketing stories come from simply asking the basic "why" question,” Motoko said in an email. “Sometimes the answer is not that interesting, but in this case it really was striking.”

Motoko said the story started when she noted increased sales of "Sarah's Key" and called the publisher to ask why. She found that Target has become a leading seller on some titles.

“I thought our readers, who were accustomed to reading stories about Barnes & Noble or Amazon or independent bookstores, would be surprised to learn that Target is such a large outlet for books, and not just of big names like Nora Roberts or James Patterson,” she said.