Bargain Hunt

Norwood Book Department by Wendy

2010-06-22T20:17:00.002-04:00

The Norwood Book Department is crafted by a woman named Wendy, stop in and say hi to this hardworking, knowledgeable person. She has thoughtfully created an area in this store that welcomes a browser.
Look at the endcaps she has built to entice you, the selection of graphic novels or the browsing room filled with one of a kind books only a bookworm would love and the kids section, WOW!
Thanks, Wendy, you make it fun!
Please, stop by and say hello. Tell her I sent you in! Which B19 is your favorite book department?

Weymouth Wonderful Book Selection

2010-06-17T19:01:00.002-04:00

If you have any need for a book this summer, it really would make sense to plan a trip to one of the B19 stores to peruse the shelves before heading off to a big bookstore or to an internet seller.
There truly is a great selection of all kinds of books at great prices.
Today I put out horror, fantasy, New England titles and authors, cookbooks, history, business books, books on politics, biographies, books on soccer, baseball and golf, travel and fiction.
Why not give us a try, save a lot of money and then get the newest best seller without feeling the least bit guilty at spending all that money.
PS great books for Dad here too!

New Bedford Store Young Adult Department

2010-06-08T19:23:00.002-04:00

Wow! Today in New Bedford we stocked an outstanding selection of books for teens -
John Green, Sarah Dessen, Alex Horowitz, award winners, whew! Watch out, Louise, they will be flying off the shelves.
What does your teen read? We have the coolest stuff like Baby Mouse for the younger readers, too.
Come in, say hi to Louise and let her know what your summer reading list looks like!

How do you choose a book?

2010-06-05T20:39:00.003-04:00

Today I spent time in the Norwood store watching people browse books in the "book reading room" Lori and her team have set up. One woman just plowed through the boxes with kids books in them, tossing books to one side or another. A young man carefully went box by box, scanning titles. He had found a treasure. How do you shop for a book?
I go by the cover. It's usually a trade paper edition, I like the feel of that kind of book and definitely prefer the content whether it's fiction or non-fiction.
What do you like to read and where do you like to browse?

Amazing Christmas Items in Nashua at Building 19

2009-12-04T19:41:00.003-05:00

Today I spent time with the staff at Nashua pricing a Christmas stock for sale on Dec 5th. This is the key reason working here is so exciting. We decided on Thursday afternoon to advertise this for this week-end and everyone kicks into high gear and makes it happen. Our longer planned events often don't go as well.
The second thing that's so cool about B19 is that this stuff is really great stuff cheap. As we went through the stock, pricing item after item, the "Wow's" kept coming as we took out another amazing item. We see so much merchandise as Merchants and sales associates, that when we see truly great deals, we recognize it and respond.
So, the prices are more than fair for this level of quality - when you look closely and see the detail, the embellishments, the joy and design put into the front, back and side of every piece, you know you are getting a value. This is the stuff the other guys knock off, from the animated plush snoring Santa to the gorgeous glass ornaments just dripping with style and panache. So much merchandise has become flat and boring for the sake of a price point. Choose things of beauty to savor every day - we can help with the bargains to help you live this way. What do you think?

A Teacher from CT comes to shop at our stores!

2009-07-29T20:03:00.003-04:00

I met a cool lady today in the Weymouth store. When we started talking about the Young Adult books, she let me know she is a teacher in CT who regularly makes the trip to Cranston or Weymouth to buy books for her classroom in Leyard, CT. Yes, the eighth graders she teaches love to read and boy, does she know how to hook them into a good book (she lets the kids know that if their parents have a problem with the content, she will understand if they can't read that book :))
She told me we must be swamped with teachers who live around our stores. We do have a lot of customers who are teachers, but sure could use more.
She was also very excited about the YA audio books we have and bought those as well.
It is so rewarding to have conversations like this with our customers either face to face or online.

Eclectic Tastes? Come Browse!

2009-07-20T18:34:00.002-04:00

If you like to save a lot of money and like books, Building 19 is a great starting point. Yard sales may have some appeal with paperbacks and used kids books but how about brand new books currently stocked everywhere from the supermarket edited book offering to the big book store chains? And the prices are at least 50% off, more often 70% - 80% off!
There are also resellers' deals, if you sell on Amazon or EBay, you can find money makers on the shelf at any Building 19 store.
Of course as the Merchant in this area, I am prejudiced! There is a book for you, come on in and find it!

Building 19 is 45 years old on July 2 and going strong!

2009-06-28T08:14:00.002-04:00

On Thursday, July 2, come celebrate the 45th anniversary of bargain hunting that has been so muc a part of the retail landscape in New England. All 12 stores will celebrate in our unique way - lots of prizes, games and fun for all ages. (Shrewsbury isn't open on Thursday)
Activities will begin at 10 AM with something different planned for each hour, then enjoy cake and a toast at 2 PM.
Building 19 has been part of so many memories over the years, join us for this special day and share your bargain stories with us.

Help! Summer Reading Need Your School's List

2009-06-15T19:36:00.005-04:00

Building 19 is committed to having the very best books we can get our hands on for kids and teens.
This is the time of year when the summer reading lists come out. Some kids dreaded them, I always felt such a sense of a new world coming when I looked at that list as a kid. A whole summer to read these books, usually terrific reads. Of course I waited till the last minute, reading other titles. We often went to the library every day and picked out the maximum four books, returning them the next day for four more. Books should always be part of summer fun.
I am trying to buy the books that will be on your student's list or at least books by the authors whose books land on reading lists. If you will email your school's list to me, I will work hard to find those books, no promises that I can find them, but I sure will try.
Send the lists to jschwier@building19.com, thanks!
One year my kids had a "listening" list from the music teacher, that was cool!

Kids do still Read

2009-06-06T16:17:00.002-04:00

Lots of folks may tell you kids and teens don't read any more, that's just not the case.
Borders is experiencing a huge sales increase in what's called Young Adult fiction and so is Building 19! You'll see a Mom in with a daughter like I did today in Natick, pointing out titles she would like. Parents come in alone and make selections and teachers come in for books for their classroom.
If you have a child, a niece, nephew, a grandchild, a friend, a student that is between the ages of 8 to 16, make a plan to bring them to one of our stores to take a look but fair warning, there is a terrific, ever changing selection of the some of the best titles and authors in this category at prices starting at $.99. Tell them they can only have 5 books and stand back, they will want 10!
This summer, keep them reading and check out the selection early - reading list titles will be in our stores but they will go fast!
This shouldn't be a sales pitch but I am so passionate about these books, the subject matter is smart, current and engaging. The stuff for boys and girls both is wonderful. I do believe in reading the classics but sometimes the content is so far from these kids' experience that the writing is lost on them. The new books hook them right from the start. Let me know what you think and if your teen is reading. Check out www.teenreads.com!

Facebook

2009-04-08T09:41:00.002-04:00

Some people have said that they can't find us on facebook. I don't know how to publish a link, but if you go on facebook and search for jerry ellis and building #19, you'll find us.
we're tweeting (twittering?), too, we're not really sure how that's going to work out, but we're trying to keep our customers updated on what's going on at Building #19.

Teacher's Event

2009-03-19T15:55:00.001-04:00

We have a teacher's resource event coming to all stores on Saturday, March 28th. Check our website next week for more info.

Annual Golf Event

2009-03-19T15:52:00.001-04:00

The famous Building 19 Golf Event is coming on Saturday, March 28th to our Burlington Store. Burlington opens early at 7:45AM.

Designer Samples Spring 2009

2009-03-19T15:50:00.001-04:00

Sorry we haven't blogged in a while - but we had to let you know that our 2009 Spring Samples are in! They will be available starting Saturday, March 21st in our Weymouth, Norwood, Natick and Cranston stores.
Be early for the best selection!

How Do You Want to Browse?

2008-08-30T20:32:00.002-04:00

We are working on a new way to present books in our stores and Bill asked me to "become a customer" and shop our racks and tables.
I thought you could help me with this and let me know how you would like to see books presented in our stores.
What stores do you think do a great job? Where do you always buy a book even if you didn't plan to? What store do you think of when you realize you need a new book?
There are lots of options to consider and I would really like to hear from you!
Help me help us get better....

What would make a difference to you - book shelves, racks, tables, higher, lower, smaller, taller, more books, less books, different books - please take the time to let me know what would make Building 19's book department better!

FaceBook Us!

2008-07-30T17:08:00.002-04:00

Ok, so we finally decided to join everyone in 2008 and we got a Facebook account (Myspace coming soon!) So we would love all of our friends, who come into our stores or have ever been in our stores, to Facebook us. Our page is not too fancy yet, but we call it home (in Facebook terms) either way if you have a Facebook page or would like to join just search for "Building19" and we will be happy to welcome you into our Facebook family.

Also we will give users on Facebook some sneak-peeks, so if you wanna be in the know that is the place to be.

Thanks for being so supportive and we hope to see you soon, either in store or on Facebook.

Thirteen stores in Three Days

2008-07-03T19:34:00.004-04:00

I have just visited 13 of the 14 Building 19 stores in the last three days to judge the progress our store people have made on grouping the book department into fiction and non fiction categories. Just couldn't squeeze in the Lynn store on Tuesday - next week, Ron and Carolina, I promise!
This was a daunting task (those of you who shop our stores know what I mean!)!
I am so proud of the staff who really took on the challenge and created an inviting, easy to browse department. Some stores are so well organized it looks like a real book store. Some stores even have a Spanish book section!

Let me know what you think after your next trip into your favorite Building 19 store. Give them a pat on the back if you like what you find!

The Next Generation of Building 19 Shopper is in the Making!

2008-06-21T13:38:00.005-04:00

Last Wednesday as I was working in the Hanover store trying (and trying and trying) to get the books shelved by category, I overheard this conversation between two girls who were about 12 years old. They were cruising the book department looking at the vast selection of teen reads
First Girl: "WoW! I just paid $10 for that book at Borders!"
Second Girl" "See. I told you they had great books here at great prices" (imagine a bit of a valley girl inflection)
Our price? An amazing $2.98!
These young ladies were standing in front of the rack displaying about 30 titles of what's known as "Chick Lit" - Gossip Girl, The Clique, A List - these series appeal to young women from 12 to 20.

If I didn't know these were customers, I would think Bill McGowan scripted this for a commercial!

The books are great and always changing. Come on in to a Building 19 store and browse - what you save will more than offset the gas expended!

PS The Last Days of Mash mentioned in an earlier blog are no longer in the store.

Iron Age Work Boots

2008-06-10T10:37:00.002-04:00

Starting Thurs, June 12 AFTER WORK at 6 pm: men's safety work boots from Iron Age, Knapp and more! You'll save 68% to 72% off the retail price.
See www.building19.com for more details!

This is what we mean by "Good Stuff Cheap"

2008-05-01T15:20:00.004-04:00

Two events happening starting Saturday, May 3rd are perfect examples of "Good Stuff Cheap".
"Good Stuff Cheap" event no. 1: an Insurance Claim Oriental Rug event in our Burlington store. These gorgeous antique and antique reproduction rugs were in a rug showroom when a pipe leaked. They were sent out to dry, but they just couldn't meet the exacting standards that this rug importer had established. These rugs need a little TLC - and we've asked the cleaning and restoration experts at Koko Boodakian and Sons to help out. On Sat., May 3rd from 9am to 1pm, Michael Boodakian will be at our Burlington store to answer your questions - and they are offering our rug-buying customers a 30% off cash and carry rug cleaning coupon. Stop by and browse!

"Good Stuff Cheap" event no. 2: Starting Saturday, May 3rd in our Weymouth store, we have a selection of Luxury Men's Clothing, the likes of which we have never had in our 44 year history! You'll see suits, dress shirts, dress slacks, sportcoats and more from such venerable names as Hugo Boss, Burberry, Versace, Brioni, Eton, Ferre, Uomo and more. Come on in and try on a $1600 suit (our price: $449) or a $700 dress shirt (our price: $89.99).

Check our website for more info...

eBAYERS TAKE NOTE!

2008-04-12T18:59:00.004-04:00

The Hanover store has three copies of the soft cover book called the Last Days of Mash by Alan Alda.
I just checked ebay and they are selling at the "buy it now" price of $45.00!
The price at Building 19? $5.98!

Always worth a trip to Building 19 to see what treasures are just waiting for the astute buyer!

We sold a lot of the 36,193 items today! (there's plenty more left!)

2008-03-21T19:56:00.004-04:00

I spent the first day of our Teacher's Event in the Burlington store, Friday, March 21.
Sergio and Paul did an amazing job of organizing thousands of books, activity books and Hooked on Phonics kits into a shoppable, inviting area in the store.
We had about 2o people waiting to come in on a cold, windy morning when they could have stayed in bed and snuggled under the covers. The pull of books and bargains was too strong!
The waves of customers shopped aisle after aisle of books, finding treasures. It made one hopeful for the future - reading and learning are the keys.

It was wonderful to see the thoughtful selections and the engrossed kids paging through books.
Customers filled carts and looked carefully for more, not wanting to leave one book opportunity on the table.
As one teacher put it "I always find the one amazing thing I wished for when I shop the book department".
Patience was evident as always at Building 19! We have a saying "Suffer A Little, Save A Lot!" and the suffering is worth it!
In the earlier blog I said it "takes a village" to run an a special event. It's very true and I am in awe of the talent and energy in this company- Building 19.
Thanks to everyone!!!!

Dog Lovers Event in Shrewsbury

2008-03-18T11:00:00.003-04:00

Starting Friday, March 21st - items from a well-known Dog Lovers Catalog! We've added a deal from our own Pet Department - a shipment of goods from a huge chain of pet stores. Shrewsbury only, the doors open at 9AM... be early for the best selection!

SSSSHHHHHH...........HUGE event in Lynn Saturday!

2008-03-17T15:56:00.003-04:00

Hi!

You are not going to want to tell your friends about this one-- it's WAY too juicy, and when they see you wearing these clothes out, they will think you hit the lottery.

We have 20 racks (about 572 pieces) of leather from one of the premier designers on the planet. Seriously, you will not believe this designer name would ever be at little old Building #19. This Italian designer's line is so famous that they make fun of her on SNL- (that's how you know you've made it!) I'll only give one hint--- the collection name starts with a "V"

Best of all- they are priced at a FRACTION of the designer price tags. One example I saw was a $795.00 jacket for $169.99. That's a huge bargain!

Now I will admit that some of these pieces are high, high fashion-- and they are a little outrageous. But there is a range- buttery soft leather pants, neon mini skirts, and jackets are some things you'll see. Each piece is a true collector's item for any aspiring fashionista.

Dress like a CELEBRITY at Building #19 prices!
Come by, it will be worth the trip!

Annemarie

Mens Shoe Event in Weymouth, Burlington, Lynn, Natick, Norwood, Hanover, Manchester and Nashua starting Sunday, 3/16

2008-03-14T12:47:00.008-04:00

Our ladies brand name shoe event was a hit... and we haven't forgotten the men. Here are a few pictures of our setup in our Weymouth store.... our Weymouth, Burlington, Lynn, Norwood, Natick, Hanover, Manchester and Nashua stores will have a similar setup ready for Sunday, March 16th.. be early!

What's It Like to Price 36, 193 items in three days for a special event?

2008-03-13T21:36:00.002-04:00

One of the most wonderous things about Building 19 is our ability to make things happen quickly or as they say "turn on a dime".
We had an opportunity last Friday to make a buy on terrific books for parents and teachers of young children and decided to run a chainwide event on March 21.
Everyone kicked into gear and as we speak the warehouse is feverishly sorting and pricing 36,193 books, workbooks, parenting books, teachers' resources and Hooked On Phonics Deluxe Kits. Shipping is getting ready to send the thousands of books out to arrive starting Tues.
Our crackerjack Advertising Department is writing radio ads, printing signs, designing in-store marketing materials along with sending out give aways and making phone calls to preschools and day care centers.
Annemarie is trying to line up special giveaways from fourteen different communties so we can create giveaways in each store for those who fill out information cards.
The stores are setting up displays to show you the tip of the iceberg as to what you will see when you arrive at the store on Friday, March 21st.
Come into any of our stores starting on Wednesday, March 19th and you will see the stock starting to be set up. Nothing will be sold before Friday morning but you will see the huge selection of books over 140 titles sent in just for this event!.
Jerry says this is the our biggest educational book event in nearly 44 years!
Please come in and see the results - it really does take a village to run an ROP!

South Shore Ad Club features Mat Brown

2008-03-13T21:25:00.001-04:00

I went to hear Mat Brown speak tonight at the South Shore Ad Club. He talked about how he and Jerry created the Building 19 ad campaign over the years. He showed ads that sold good stuff, that gave stuff away and ads that helped create the amazing retail entity that Building 19 is today.

The room was filled with men and women who are in advertising and they laughed and were on the edge of their seats listening to the stories of how the mystique of Building 19 was created.
Mat is truly one of a kind and I feel lucky to know Jerry and to know Mat.

Do you have a favorite ad that you remember from years past?
There are a lot of Building 19 fans out there who really love to tell the stories of the bargains they've found and why they like to visit.

Handmade Oriental Rug Event

2008-03-11T15:16:00.003-04:00

Hi,
It's Marjorie, the Rug Lady from Building #19. I'm excited to tell you about my latest discovery of beautiful handmade Oriental rugs, coming to four stores, this Saturday.
I got an exceptional bargain from a midtown Manhattan rug importer who was closing his doors forever. For three generations, his family imported only the very best Oriental rugs, and sold them to the "exclusive" rug stores.
Well, on Saturday, you'll find that these very beautiful rugs are very affordable at Building #19. They're 65% to 83% off the fancy rug store prices. That's like getting three to five rugs for the price of one.
There's a wonderful selection of handmade Oriental rugs from scatters to oversized and everything in between, including hard to find runners. If you've ever pictured an elegant, handmade Oriental rug in your home, come to Building #19 Haverhill, Burlington, Lynn or Norwood, this Saturday.
Remember, our 30 day money-back guarantee gives you plenty of time to try out your new rug at home to make sure you love it.
Thank you...

P.S. We're feverishly working to get pictures, prices, sizes, and styles up on our website. Keep checking back.

Kids rugs! They are coming soon.

2008-03-10T20:55:00.003-04:00

They will be in all stores on Sunday April 6th. We just bought over 7,900 1st quality kids rugs. That’s over ½ million dollars (at their retail) worth of kid rugs to be sold at 73% to 83% off their prices.

We have an unbelievable selection, over 60 different designs per store, over 500 rugs per store. We just received the rugs in our warehouse and this is the best selection we have ever had.

Their prices are ranging from $24.95 to $198.98
Ours are $5.99 to $49.99

These are great for day care centers, nurseries, schools, parents, and kids of all ages.

Shoe Event - Weymouth pictures

2008-03-07T17:07:00.005-05:00

Just a few pictures of the Weymouth store as they were setting up the shoe event for Saturday, March 8th...this is just ONE store - this event is happening in all 14 of our stores. Visit www.building19.com for more details....

Look What I Found...in Ladies Clothing!

2008-03-04T17:59:00.009-05:00

Hi! I'm Annemarie and I'm the new merchant (Like a buyer.) I will update this blog as I find really great fashion cheap in our stores-- and as we get new stocks in. We are going to be making a LOT of changes in the ladies department -- adding some new lines for young women and the young at heart. I'm hoping that you fashionable Building #19 shoppers will let me know what you want to see in the stores!

Today, I spent some time in our Norwood store, located on Route 1. I was happy to see that all the seasonal markdowns had been taken-- and there are some GREAT deals in there.

They include: sweaters, winter coats, fleeces, and a whole lot else. Price range from $3.19-$14.19.

I couldn't believe it when we were all done-- we had marked down over 40 different items! Since we don't often do markdowns like this, this is a definite opportunity for our savvy Building #19 customers.

I also saw some really cute denim skirts that are A REALLY HIGH END BRAND ($69.00 originally!) This is THE brand when it comes to "horseback sports" (OK not really but that is a hint) I saw some size 8 and 10 (there may have been other sizes too) that are perfect for spring at $16.99!

<----- Some of our Markdowns!

Here are some NEW items we have in the dept-- such cute spring skirts...

Shoe event in all stores

2008-03-03T09:56:00.001-05:00

Our famous brand name shoe event is coming to all stores on Saturday, March 8th. See www.building19.com for more details!

Searching Toy Fair for great new deals

2008-02-21T15:30:00.003-05:00

Just back from Toy Fair in NYC, looking for overstocks and offerings on jigsaw puzzles, books, and Christmas, believe it or not!
Hope Hannah Montana and Dora stay popular, everything seems to be a licensed toy these days. If they don't, our stores will be flooded with their smling faces.
Got to look through a viewfinder and remember the good old days when that was an amazing toy(they are still the best 3D on the planet in my book).
Saw a lifesize Indiana Jones made entirely out of Legos - no snakes though.

Working on some cool deals on cookbooks, mechanical Christmas figures and Lord of the Rings - anyone still interested in Lord of the Rings?
Let me know what you would like to find in our Book Department next time you stop in!

Shrewsbury Weekly Special

2008-02-21T14:41:00.003-05:00

Starting Friday, Feb. 22nd, Nurses Shoes, slippers and nurse-related giftware - mug, plaque, picture frame, hand care and foot care kit - from the number 1 name in nurses shoes. We also have a selection of scrubs, unisex and misses, mostly medium and large sizes.

Rug Event

2008-02-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

Coming Saturday, March 1st to Pawtucket, Cranston, New Bedford, Manchester and Nashua - Authentic Handmade Oriental Rugs from Persia, India, China and Pakistan, to be sold at 63% to 82% off the fancy store prices!

Burlington Golf Event

2008-02-19T16:13:00.000-05:00

The annual golf event will be held on March 1st in our Burlington store. Early opening at 7:47 AM!!!

Samples Event Coming to Norwood, Weymouth and Natick

2008-02-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

Our annual Spring Samples Grand Opening is coming to Norwood, Weymouth and Natick on March 2nd.
Visit www.building19.com for directions.