Shopkeeping: Stories, Advice, and Observations

by Peter Miller

A love letter to the small shop, and shop owners everywhere, by beloved bookseller Peter Miller.

“There is a tradition of shopkeeping, a tradition of codes, etiquette, and customs. For the most part, it is an oral history, passed along, person to person. You learn to be a retailer—not by going to college, but by going to work. You learn from people who have learned how to run a shop.” [from the Introduction]

For more than four decades, Peter Miller has run a design bookshop that shares his name in Seattle. He has also written three of his own books, manuals about cooking and about food and about eating together. In this love letter to his day job, Miller writes for the first time about his other shopkeeping.

Miller crafts stories from the bookshop floor with wry humor and skillful storytelling. Readers are taken on a shopkeeping journey and will come to understand along the way that small shops characterize our towns and cities, making them unique, special, and worth visiting and living near. This essay collection is for shop lovers everywhere and captures the art and heart of running a local shop treasured by the community that surrounds it. By the end, you can’t help wanting to own a shop.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Essays, Books About Books, Reference, Biography Memoir, Business

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2024

Reviews

[Kristīne · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTEIKTI jālasa visiem veikalniekiem vai tiem, kas par tādiem plāno kļūt.

Gribu, lai šo izlasa VISAS manas kolēģes!

Mazliet memuārs, mazliet veikalu vēsture, mazliet veikalu filozofija, mazliet ieteikumi, kā kūrēt un uzturēt grāmatu veikalu (un citus veikalus)z
Lielisks pierādījums, ka var iztikt bez liekvārdības, nav jāaizpilda 300lpp ar gadījumies iz dzīves un ko mana tēta māsīcas vīra tēvs teica. Var arī izteikties īsi, konkrēti, eleganti, par būtisko. Tieši tāpat ar veikaliem. Nav jāpiekrāmē paletes ar precēm, to lai dara lielveikali.

Ļoti rimts, mierīgs lasāmais, kas izraisa sniega lavīnas domāšanas efektu. Lai gan tas galīgi tā nav bijis rakstīts, bet no šī materiāla sanāktu perfekts mini seriāls par Sietlu 80-90tajos, ar domīgu vecpuisi galvenajās lomās. Pilnīgs pretstats Black Books, bet ne sliktāks vai labāks. Ar sirdi un inteliģenti.

[CJ Alberts]

Urmmmmm ok anyways

[alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s only Jan but I am sure this will be one of the best books I read this year!

[Jennalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a DELIGHT to read. This book was so beautiful it read like poetry. Practical advice was spliced with pieces of whimsical anecdotes in beautiful composure. I read this in my stores cafe, after work, having been loaned a copy by my boss with the recommendation. All in that same sitting I finished. Walked back to his office to rave about how wonderful this book is to read. Will be buying my own copy after posting this review.😍

[Eichler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting a unique perspective on something most take for granted. There is beauty to be found in everything and clearly shops are no exception.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful little book musing about shopkeeping

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever read books that make you want to give them a hug when you're done? This book is very short but I'm savoring it, because the shopkeeper in question is writing a detailed love letter to this entire way of life.
After you read this, you will look at a well maintained store in a whole new light. The writer goes through the process of maintaining a store, making changes, adding inventory, and most importantly, creating the mood. Everything in his store is placed where it belongs and inventory is chosen to improve the aesthetic, not necessarily because it would seem logical to someone unfamiliar with the store. This was amazing.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

[Dustin Honour · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet kind of book, built from calm, mindful experience and the accumulation of knowledge of living within it. It reminded me of Marie Kondo’s, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up…” and how each simple act can become something more than itself—a way of experiencing life differently. By changing how we interact with the world, how we arrange our lives and the things within it, we can change how we think and feel inside that space and more importantly inside ourselves. Minimalism comes with its own critique of being the past time of the well off, and I understand this, while still finding it meaningful. These books bring me back to that headspace of purposeful arrangement and ownership. These books bring up the possibility of quiet contemplation in daily ritual. I enjoy that. We make a statement about ourselves in how we arrange our lives, the things within it, the people, how we treat those things, and at the end of our lives, these statements will determine the meaning we found in our lives. I find beauty in how quiet solitude within yourself can be shared with others by bringing it out into the world.

[Abby Hemmelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about this book and bookseller on a podcast when I was on my way to Seattle. It was so fun to stop into the store and meet him just a few days later. And to walk away with a special little signed copy that I’ll treasure. ❤️

[Catherine Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely!! Made shopkeeping seem so romantic and quaint. Has me looking at retail spaces for sale. An excellent slow-paced read, but very quick because it was short. Purchased for me by Carmen 🫶🏼

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Anne Bogel, I enjoy short, quiet, ruminative books.

[Christina Potter Bieloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been in a reading rut. Kinda bored of all books. So I started browsing Libby and found this! I don’t know why we’ve not been to Peter Miller’s bookstore in Seattle. We need to go.

I enjoyed his book so much!

[Ginna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected, completely charming, and reads like poetry

[Kate Belt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book is a charming combination of storytelling and description of the architecture and other physical aspects of a store, such as lighting, shelving, and display. Miller devotes several paragraphs to the design of mechanical pencils, which I found fascinating. If you want to know why your pencil leads keep breaking, read this book! Hint, it is not because you are pressing too hard. Along the way you also learn that Miller has an aversion to contractions in written language.

[Laura Bray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem of novel. Don't let the title fool you, this isn't a book just for shopkeepers-it's for all of us. It's a book about living and connecting in a world that can feel cold and lonely. Sure, there are great tips about setting-up a shop, welcoming customers, even displaying your wares, but this is also a missive about going out into the world, and why it is so important to our well-being to support the shopkeepers who are putting their heart and soul into opening independent shops. Having just visited Peter Miller's lovely bookshop in Seattle, I can attest that he adheres to his own advice.

Tip: Be sure to buy the hardbound book! It is pure pleasure to hold. The textured, book board of the cover, the smooth-as-fresh-cream-pages, it is a gem for your library and a treat for bibliophiles.

[Avery Durrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and humble book about shopkeeping that I loved?! I'm being serious, this book is literally about shopkeeping. I picked it up after being burnt out on reading, and it was exactly what I needed to get reinvigorated.

Peter Miller talks about his experiences owning a shop, lessons that he learned over his long tenure building and monitoring his shop, and observations he's seen across the shops he's gone to all across the world.

It's a comforting and enjoyable book about a profession that has so much love and requires so much detail. Everything from how the lighting of your shop looks to the color of your curtains needs to be thoroughly analyzed in order to provide a better experience for his customers.

This is a one-day read that I tried to savor over a few months, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a little change up in what they read.

[Wendi Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would have been perfect to read while I was in my favorite coffee shop. It’s a warm and comfy book, but it would have been interesting to look up at the shop and see what they were doing compared to what the author was saying.

I enjoyed this, with my main problem being it was too short. The thoughts on shops are endless, so a few more chapters would have been great.

I recommend reading this one, in your favorite place to read and happily enjoy this well written and informative. Then maybe do what I did afterwards, and imagine what your shop would be.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Carol]

Peter Miller is a bookseller with decades of experience selling the best books about architecture - which is undoubtedly the reason that Princeton Architectural Press published this slim book about retailing. It is part memoir and part inspiration for those who hope to follow in his success as a shopkeeper. While it doesn't provide a great deal of specific advice, the "stories and observations" part of the subtitle is accurate. An enjoyable, short read for those of us in the field - or considering it.

Please note that I don't use the star rating system, so this review should not be viewed as a zero.

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a beautiful testament to small brick and mortar shops. As a shopkeeper myself, it was lovely to read the POV of someone who clearly has such high standards for his own store (and others), and has such a passion for how these shops enhance a community. I found parts of it to be a bit pretentious for more whimsical shops, but I truly appreciate this view from an industry veteran. Will absolutely be visiting this shop the next time I am in Seattle.

I tried reading the digital version of this, but it's way better as a print book imo.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC!

[Kristin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully penned and honest account of what it means to be a shopkeeper.

Although, I've never personally visited Peter Miller books, after reading this, I feel as if I'm a longtime and loyal patron. Turning the pages, I learned the stories of the shop, the intentionality of the design, and the tireless efforts and profound dedication of the proprietor.

Highly recommended if you are a lover of books and independently owned bookstores.

[Julia Mcnair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delight. It was a quick read, I finished it in just a few hours, but it was exactly what it needed to be. Like I imagine his shop must be, it felt well curated and invited me in. It said hello and goodbye and made sure I had the help I needed. I’m a shopkeeper and it felt like I had stepped back in time, to when owning a business meant a brick and mortar endeavor.

This will be a forever book for me.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is practical and meditative at the same time. While I never sought out to be a shopkeeper, I can’t deny that I am one now. Shopkeeping is full of insight to the profession. Many lines resonated.

The actual book is gorgeously bound, threaded hardcover with visible string binding. Just a delight to hold in your hands and to open and read.

[Kathryn Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really beautifully written. An ode to community, to putting love into what you do, and to knowing the value you bring to the space you take up. I knew nothing about this book or it's author when I picked it up, I thought it was going to be dramatically different from what it was, but I so thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Mark Lieberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before its published.

It was a really quick read and I enjoyed his ideas for being a shopkeeper as well as his stories from shops around the world.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky little book that feels like sitting down for a glass of wine with someone who has been in the high end retail industry for decades, and paused, post-pandemic, to reflect. Full of not-so-obvious wisdom brought by a place you will desperately want to visit.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half stars for this delightful little book and five stars for the experience of purchasing it from Peter Miller’s shop in Seattle. Highly recommended for anyone who finds themselves in Pioneer Square, even if you know nothing about architecture.

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can never walk past an open bookstore and I am fascinated by the way people earn their living so this book immediately caught my attention. Even better, Mr. Miller’s prose is whimsical, charming, and informative - a rare combination.

[Dawn Maylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky little philosophical book about owning an architecture bookstore in downtown Seattle. Who knew someone could wax poetic about shops for an entire book! Not surprising, my brother-in-law Jim knows this author.

[Justin Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. As someone who works in retail i found this book to be both educational and inspiring. It has given me a new perspective on the work i have fallen into. it’s not “just retail” it’s an art. and it is important.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some advice here to be sure, but for me as someone who has no interest in running a shop, this had the feel of killing time waiting at a bar, and realizing the old man you happen to be sitting next to you also has some time to kill, and is full of some great stories. What a treat.