SCOTTSDALE 3/7/2013 8:25:48 AM
News / Business

Scott’s Marketplace Hosts a Shop Local Cash Mob to Save a Business

Scott’s Marketplace, the place to shop local businesses online, has organized a cash mob to help keep Dog-Eared Pages Used Books, a Phoenix-based business, from closing. The cash mob is to be held Saturday, March 16 at Dog-Eared Pages Used Books from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. and attendees are asked to spend $20 at the bookstore.

Scott Curry, founder and CEO of Scott’s Marketplace, stated, “Scott’s Marketplace was founded upon the desire to help local businesses succeed, so when we heard Dog-Eared Pages’ cry for help, we knew we had to do something – and a cash mob seemed like a perfect way to give them the support they need.”

The owners of Dog-Eared Pages, Thom Butcher and Melanie Tighe, have spent five years promoting their business in hopes of increasing sales, but have been unable to make the profit they need.

The bookstore has been open for close to five years, but due to slow sales and the takeover of big-box retailers, they are now in danger of closing in less than 30 days.

Tighe said: “We knew before we opened Dog-Eared Pages that the world was changing. Amazon and Costco were already undercutting bookstores. Ebooks were coming into their own. We thought there were enough people like us — people who can’t imagine a home not filled with bulging bookshelves to support a bookstore in this area. I don’t believe we were wrong, we just haven’t figured out how to reach those folks.”

Scott’s Marketplace’s upcoming cash mob will be a way for Dog-Eared Pages to quickly earn the profit they need to keep their doors open. Scott’s Marketplace will be onsite handing out treats and prizes to attendees, and Dog-Eared Pages will be giving away signed copies of books.

Despite Dog-Eared Pages’ struggle, the bookstore is a favorite among the local book community and was named as ‘Best in the Valley’ in the bookstore category by PHOENIX magazine in fall of 2012.

The cash mob was organized as a way to rally the local community into supporting this independent bookstore, as well as the shop local movement in general. Scott's Marketplace strongly believes that local businesses are important to a community's culture. In addition to creating unique shopping destinations, local businesses support local causes, spend their money locally, hire other local businesses, and pay taxes locally.

Scott’s Marketplace hopes that the citizens of Phoenix will come together to support Dog-Eared Pages -- a local business that keeps their city unique.

Scott's Marketplace was started by small business owner Scott K. Curry, who had a vision of creating an online marketplace where local businesses could easily sell their products and consumers could easily shop local. Scott’s Marketplace is launching in spring of 2013. To learn more, visit http://www.scottsmarketplace.com or call Jill Hoffman at (480) 420-2700.

For more information on Scott's Marketplace, go to http://community.wooeb.com/scottsmarketplace