It's one of our favourite days of the year! Aotearoa NZ Bookshop Day is a day when independent bookshops, big and small, right across the country come together to celebrate our shared love of books, the magic of reading and the wonderful communities that make our bookshops so special.
Since we started Book Hero, our mission has always been to get more Kiwis reading, put more books into more hands and encourage the next generation to discover the magic of books.
So, of course, we couldn't let NZ Bookshop Day go by without a proper celebration!
And what a day it was! From the moment we opened our doors at 8:30am until we closed at 5pm, Hero HQ was absolutely buzzing. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who came along, and it was so lovely to see familiar faces, meet new customers and spend the day chatting about books!
Books, baking and a whole lot of love!
We had the most incredible spread of baking and sweet treats, lovingly made by our friends, family and team using recipes from a selection of much-loved cookbooks, both new and old.
A HUGE shout-out to the absolute legend that is Sunita, Eve and her mum Rochelle (we love you!), Theresa, Lizzy, Alex (who absolutely nailed the cookies!), Roopa & Oli, Dylan (we're sure you helped Alex!) and Faye - the ginger cake was sooo good!
You all outdid yourselves! The table looked amazing, and judging by how quickly everything disappeared, our customers loved it just as much as we did!
Our mystery books were another highlight! Tucked inside the gorgeous NZ Bookshop Day tote bags designed by the incredibly talented Coco Solid, each one held a surprise waiting to be discovered. It was so much fun seeing customers settle into our courtyard with a sweet treat and open their mystery books!
When we first planned Hero HQ, we dreamed of creating a little courtyard where people could sit, enjoy a book and take a quiet moment for themselves. Seeing that dream come to life on NZ Bookshop Day was pretty special.
A little magic for our youngest book lovers
One of our favourite parts of the day was seeing so many little readers exploring the bookshop!
There was plenty to keep everyone entertained, with a scavenger hunt, colouring activities and, of course, finding Wally! We also loved seeing so many kids throughout the day climbing up onto the seats, getting comfy and completely losing themselves in their books. It was so lovely to see!
Our Toniebox demo also had its very first outing, and it was a HUGE hit! The kids loved playing with Pikachu, Lightning McQueen and Rapunzel, and it was honestly the cutest thing watching them point up at our Tonies ceiling display to choose their next character.
Seeing children so excited about stories and discovering new characters is exactly why encouraging children's reading is so important to us.
And as I sat down to write this blog at the end of the day, I spotted a little girl settle herself under our rose archway, open her new book and start reading. Honestly, it was the sweetest sight and the perfect way to end such a wonderful day. Best seat in the house!
Behind the scenes at Hero HQ!
Our warehouse tours were an absolute hit, with every single session booked out from 9am right through until 5pm! Tim and Dylan spent the day taking customers behind the scenes, sharing our story, showing how we pick and pack orders and answering plenty of questions along the way. Dylan was especially appreciative of the quiet moments he had alone with customers, out of the busy shop environment, who took the time to remark to him how much they appreciated Book Hero existing, and the fact it continued to be based right here in Hobsonville. It was amazing to reconnect with so many regular customers, new customers, and even customers who drove from as far away as Tauranga just to be here today to meet the team, pick up their order, and take the tour.
There's something magical about watching customers walk through the tunnel into our warehouse for the first time. The look on their faces when they see all those books never gets old!
I still pinch myself every time I walk in there. Our new warehouse is around four times the size of our previous home, with shelving reaching nearly 10 metres high and room for approximately 200,000 books, alongside 65,000 toys, games and puzzles.
Being able to share this incredible space with the customers who helped make it possible was such a wonderful feeling!
Reading is alive and well in New Zealand!
If there's one thing NZ Bookshop Day reminded us, it's that the love of reading is very much alive and well here in Aotearoa. Our bookshop was packed all day with families browsing together, children excitedly choosing their next read and customers simply enjoying being surrounded by stories.
There's something really special about bookshops. They're places to connect, discover something new and take a little break from the busyness of everyday life. And there's research to back up that feeling! A recent YouGov survey commissioned by the Booksellers Association in the UK found that nine in 10 recent bookshop visitors said the experience had a positive impact on their mood. NINE IN TEN!
We love that, and it makes complete sense to us. In our busy, screen-filled lives, having somewhere to slow down, switch off and enjoy being surrounded by books is something pretty wonderful.
Thank you for celebrating with us!
To everyone who came through our doors, joined a warehouse tour, enjoyed some baking, took part in the activities, picked up a mystery book or simply stopped by to say hello, THANK YOU!
We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful day. And to our incredible team, friends and family who helped bring everything together, thank you for making it so special.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone across Aotearoa who supported their local independent bookshop. Whether it's a tiny shop tucked away in a small town or a bustling bookstore in the middle of a city, these places bring people together, champion authors, inspire young readers and keep the love of books alive in our communities.
Wherever your local bookshop is, thank you for showing up and celebrating them. It will mean the world to them. We know it certainly does to us!
Happy Aotearoa NZ Bookshop Day, from all of us at Book Hero! ❤️📚
