Torsten Adair of Barnes & Noble in New York City saw John Riley's Sharpening the Sword column on Proving the Theory on FCBD (see 'Sharpening the Sword--Proving the Theory on FCBD') and sent this response:

I've been reading, with interest, John Riley's articles about 'mass merchandising' his comic book store.  Partly because I work for one such bookstore (a hugely profitable Barnes & Noble location in New York City), and partly because as a librarian and fan, I want to 'seduce the innocents' to read graphic novels.

With this goal in mind, I joined the Friends of Lulu in 1995.  Their mission of getting more women involved with comics meshed with my goal of getting more people involved with comics.

In 1997, the Friends of Lulu published a title: How to Get Girls (...Into Your Store): A Friends of Lulu Retailer Handbook, edited by Deni Loubert.  It was distributed free to every Diamond account, and we sold a few extra copies from our booth.  This title basically details how comic book retailers can make their stores more 'female friendly.'  Don't think comic book stores are intimidating?  Then read Neil Gaiman's introduction 'Shameful Secrets of Comics Retailing: The Lingerie Connection.'  His thesis: some comic book stores are to women what lingerie stores are to men.

If you are pressed for time, read the introduction (adobe page 7), and read the appendix (adobe page 38):

http://www.friends-lulu.org/handbook.html

http://www.friends-lulu.org/images/retailhb.pdf

As always, my opinions are not those of Barnes & Noble.