A Sustainable Business – Green Apple Books

I find myself buying more and more products online these days, and it’s not just because I spend the majority of my day in front of a computer. It really comes down to the better shopping experience I can have online. Web sites like Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, and others analyze my shopping habits, my likes and dislikes and then use that information to recommend products that I may have never found on my own. Smaller web sites like Threadless and product blogs (Product Dose & Apartment Therapy) can lead me to unique small quantity goods that are not available in my local area. Every now and then however, I encounter a truly great local business that picks up where the online shopping experience falls short. Green Apple books store in San Francisco’s Richmond district is one of these exceptional brick and motor stores. Without fail every time I’m in their store I overhear, the familiar sentiment, “I could spend all day in here”.

Green Apple’s appeal to it’s customers is by no means an accident. They achieve a similar, albeit less technological, refreshing shopping experience that has kept more and more people returning to online stores. Green Apple offers it’s customers a large and distinctive inventory with employee reviews and special categories for their favorite books. The store itself reminds me of looking through the recommendation sections on iTunes or Netflix. Books are displayed throughout the store in prominent categories labeled “Hall of Fame”, “Don’t call it Frisco”, and the clever “Books that would never be Oprah picks”. A large number of these books receive witty staff write ups, like those of the online world, leading a customer to buy a book they may have never even heard of before. Old fashioned recommendation from a trusted staff goes a long way.

It takes an extremely knowledgeable and passionate staff to create the enthusiastic customer base enjoyed by Green Apple. In our modern world of ever increasing demands for businesses to grow, grow, and grow at all costs it’s nice to see sustainable local stores with the qualities of Green Apple survive and thrive throughout the technological age of online shopping, IPOs, leveraged buyouts. If you’re looking for a new book to read or just want to spend a day browsing the shelves of a great book store stop by Green Apple Books on Clement and 6th street in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

What do you think?