Different look / Springfield Novelties and Gifts trying where others have failed
Author: TIM LANDIS BUSINESS EDITOR SJR Spfld. IL.
September 25, 2002
Section: MARKETPLACE
Page: 13
A Different look ...
Springfield Novelties and Gifts trying where
others have failed...
Gerald and William Caslin are trading one downtown tradition in hopes of reviving another.
The father-son team this week opened Springfield Novelties and Gifts in the former Discovery News, Books and Gifts at 229 S. Sixth St. The bookstore and gift shop closed in July after just more than a year in business.
The Caslins' shop also is the latest in a series of businesses at the spot best known as the last home of the old Shadid's Book Mart. But, unlike the last five stores since Shadid's sold out in 1991, books, magazines and periodicals are not part of their marketing plan.
"We never considered it," said Gerald Caslin, who also owns Food Fantasies, a gourmet and natural foods market in Springfield. Caslin is a former manager for the Revco and Super X drugstore chains in Springfield.
The Caslins, instead, are aiming for another downtown tradition - the dime store format, but on a smaller scale.
"We're scaled down, but we're kind of like the old Ben Franklin's or Kresge's stores," said the senior Caslin.
There is wall-to-wall variety - candles, postcards, travel supplies, Route 66 T-shirts, balloons, wedding and anniversary supplies, office stationery, family and kids' games, baseball cards, toys, puzzles, snacks, soft drinks, spices and Fuzzy Poster coloring sets.
"We've tried to have a little bit of everything here," said William Caslin, who manages the store and also has a retail background.
The Caslins considered a number of locations for their venture, but had a particular interest in the downtown with the impending opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The library opens in November and the museum in 2004.
"We've been discussing this for a couple of years with the library and museum coming in," said Gerald Caslin, adding that they also were encouraged by the revitalization of downtown. "Ten years ago, it was just kind of a ghost town down here."
The passing of the bookstore-newsstand tradition had been anticipated by many long before Discovery News, Books & Gifts closed last summer.
For instance, John Paul, owner of Prairie Archives, the used-book store on the south side of the Old Capitol Plaza, said his store began taking special orders for new books about a year ago.
"We don't stock a huge number of new books, but we can get them," Paul said. "We anticipated the new bookstore would disappear."
Shellie Jacobs, owner of Del's Popcorn shop at 213 S. Sixth St., said she shopped at the original Shadid's Book Mart - then at 322 S. Sixth St. - when she opened her own business downtown 18 years ago.
"I'd stop in there every day and get a newspaper," said Jacobs, who describes herself as an avid reader. But she said reviving a bookstore-newsstand business downtown is tough now, with competition from the big retail bookstore chains.
"I think there's a market for it, but it would be a real hard way to go," she said.
The Caslins said they have been encouraged by customer response in the first couple of days of business downtown. They also have stocked up on extra merchandise and souvenirs in preparation for this weekend's International Route 66 Mother Road Festival
William Caslin said traffic has been a blend of tourists and downtown workers. But there was plenty of curiosity well before the stored opened.
"We probably had about 40 people knocking at the door or trying to come in just before we opened," he said, adding that there have been only a handful of inquiries about books and magazines.
Caslin attributed that curiosity to the bookstore tradition and to the fact that the 200 block of South Sixth Street is considered a prime example of the kind of residential, retail and office development possible downtown.
"This is the ideal location. When it came open, we jumped at it," Caslin said.
Caption:
1. William Caslin is manager of Springfield Novelties and Gifts, which will take a different approach to shoppers. / 2. The store is at 229 S. Sixth St.reet.
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