FESTUS, Mo. — Books Galore in Festus is filled to the brim with nearly every type of tale you can imagine. The variety within the thousands of books on store shelves reflect just as much range as the shop's very own story this past year.
“It’s been depressing, it’s been fulfilling,” explained John Gilbert, the shop's owner. “It’s been everything – run the whole gamut of emotions.”
Books Galore has sold secondhand books, games and movies since 1997, but 2020 was the most challenging year for the business. As more people began working from home and learning virtually during the pandemic, John and his wife Kendall realized the need for good old-fashioned entertainment was greater than ever.
Orders for old-school entertainment were fulfilled using new-age tech. The Gilberts sold inventory online and took customer questions over the phone to complete orders.
“It made me really grateful we’re fluent with technology to a degree,” John said.
On several occasions, orders from one person benefited entire communities.
“We had a lot of teachers who were messaging about things for their classes,” said Gilbert. “I took a lot of high-quality iPhone photos of shelves.”
While the couple has operated Books Galore in a handful of different brick-and-mortar locations over 23 years, this past year has been validation they're doing something right.
“It’s always a risk having your own business and over the last year it’s been the biggest acid test,” he explained. “Just to see people really embrace your business when they could go elsewhere and buy what we sell – it’s very humbling and an important thing for us.”
Gilbert said his business would not have survived the pandemic without the Festus network of local businesses. Restaurants and retailers brought more customers to the area, he explained. Oftentimes, new customers would discover the shop while stopping at a local restaurant or watering hole in the area.