TRACEY and Lyle Willersdorf have returned from the recent Collins Booksellers Conference with the Australian Franchise of the Year Award.<\/p>\n
As owner-operators of Collins Booksellers on Lydiard, the couple were celebrated for their high customer satisfaction, community engagement, story-time initiative, and heritage bookstore-style merchandising and window displays, which the shop has become known for across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are absolutely thrilled to win this award, and it was wonderful to be recognised for the passion that we have for books,\u201d Mrs Willersdorf said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big testament to the fact that people love the store, we love the store, and we love our customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we moved in here, we wanted to create something that no Ballarat store, or any store in Australia has, where you can really feel that old bookshop experience. We based it on Hatchards in London which has been there since 1797.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Old Colonists\u2019 building had the perfect ceiling height for the bookshelves, and the wooden floors, so it lended itself well to the beautiful vision we had.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Willersdorf said he likes his role working behind the scenes, and front of house, serving the customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great knowing that when they come in, they\u2019ll enjoy what we present to them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing we have a great range to choose from, for them to gift, or to have for themselves, is satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n
The happiness on the faces of children and adults alike is Ms Willersdorf\u2019s highlight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the joy the kids have when they walk in, and the pleasure they have when selecting a book in the children\u2019s room,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s my favourite room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collins Booksellers group managing director William Smith said the award is a reflection of the Willersdorfs\u2019 \u201cunwavering dedication\u201d to good customer service, and the promotion of reading and literacy in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis recognition highlights the franchise\u2019s commitment to excellence and its consistent efforts to exceed customer expectations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ms and Mr Willersdorf, a former teacher and farmer respectively, have operated a bookshop in Ballarat since 2008, previously running Book City, before it became Collins on Sturt.<\/p>\n
In 2018, they moved into the ground floor shopfronts of the Old Colonists\u2019 Club on Lydiard Street, and have won various national awards in that time, including first prize in Scholastic Australia\u2019s Possum Magic Window Display Competition.<\/p>\n
The couple recently renovated and moved into the building\u2019s fourth shopfront. This was Margaret Muller\u2019s umbrella shop in the late 19th century and will be named Mrs Muller\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis space is the cherry on the cake for us,\u201d Ms Willersdorf said. \u201cIt\u2019s made all our sections bigger, and we have new sections; Bodleian Library, refence literature, and popular science.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s as perfect as we can get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pair said they\u2019ve loved the journey so far, and they\u2019re looking forward to sharing their \u201cspecial\u201d shop for many years into the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love it,\u201d Ms Willersdorf said. \u201cWe\u2019d like to thank our customers for supporting us, and our staff, because without them, it wouldn\u2019t be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TRACEY and Lyle Willersdorf have returned from the recent Collins Booksellers Conference with the Australian Franchise of the Year Award. As owner-operators of Collins Booksellers on Lydiard, the couple were celebrated for their high customer satisfaction, community engagement, story-time initiative, and heritage bookstore-style merchandising and window displays, which the shop has become known for across […]<\/p>\n