So are window displays such as Reading Without Walls, featuring books about a wide range of cultures and experiences. A new section on immigrants has recently been added, which has proved especially successful. “All are welcome here“ is the store’s philosophy, “a sentiment now more meaningful than ever”, says Morgan. That many of the kids who visited the store in the early years now bring their own children is proof that the concept still works, a quarter of a century on.Įmbracing diversity has also been high on the agenda from the beginning. When Morgan founded Wild Rumpus with Tom Braun in 1992, the idea was to create a bookstore that would cater to the needs of families in their small urban neighbourhood and become “a sanctuary for young readers“. Ferdinand the ferret particularly loves the attention and is (mostly) on his best behaviour with the kids. The other animal “employees“ live in comfortable cages, get some “free“ time every morning before the shop opens and-like the ferrets- are taken out whenever customers ask for them, which happens regularly. Three cats (who were brought in as kittens) and two chickens are always roaming and can be found anywhere in the store to the delight of customers and passers-by, the cats often usurp the window display.
The annual visit by the vet who checks over the cats and chinchillas has become a popular event, with kids watching, asking questions and learning. Wild Rumpus also routinely submits to inspections by Minneapolis Animal Control. The store works with four different vets according to the various needs of the menagerie. There is also an animal care co-ordinator who oversees the feed orders- the substantial bill is part of the store’s expenses-and keeps track of vet appointments. And they play a huge part in making Wild Rumpus what it is: a destination store for children and adults alike.Īll of the staff (of 18) have received special training and jointly look after the animals. As it is, none of them are for sale all are guaranteed a lifelong home. She took out the licence because otherwise the furry and feathered creatures would not have been allowed to stay in the store 24/7. Besides books, co-owner Collette Morgan could sell animals if she chose to, because her bookstore is also a licensed pet shop. The store is home to a whole menagerie, among them friendly cats and ferrets, chickens, chinchillas, assorted fish-kept in a tank in the bathroom-and even a tarantula.
What really makes Wild Rumpus unique, though, are the animals. Stuffed animals and toys are strung across the store and on the ceiling, a large canoe that seems to be breaking through the ice on a lake catches the eye. A favourite, especially with boys, is the small hut at the back that was originally build to hide a staircase and is now home to all of the shop’s “scary“ books and adventure titles. Some of the shelves, displays and chairs are specially adapted for toddlers and small children. Installed into the black main door is a miniature purple door for kids. The entrance gives an inkling that Wild Rumpus is not just any children’s bookstore. So what makes this small bookstore so successful that customers drive miles with their children to shop here? The interior, too, is more practical than flashy, with some shelves looking a bit battered. Tucked away in a residential area with a number of independently owned shops and eateries in the neighbourhood, the location is anything but premium and parking is a big challenge. With selling space of approximately 2,000 sq ft, Wild Rumpus is not big, but it still manages an impressive inventory of some 32,000 titles, all new. And it has just been named US trade magazine Publishers Weekly’s 2017 Bookshop of the Year.
Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis, a children’s bookstore that defies modern retail logic, is still thriving after 25 years in business. What makes a bookshop a destination store? State of the art design? Top location? Size? All of the above and more, retail experts would argue.