FXBG Neighbors Podcast
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
FXBG Neighbors Podcast
EP #104 Books And Community In Stafford
A bustling bookstore in 2026 says a lot about what people still crave: a place to slow down, explore, and feel part of something bigger. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Mike Burton, district manager at Books-A-Million, as we celebrate the new Stafford location and dig into how a 1917 newsstand grew into more than 200 stores across 32 states. Mike takes us beyond the shelves to show how a modern bookstore thrives on curation, community partnerships, and the simple pleasure of holding a story in your hands.
We trace Mike’s unlikely path from engineering student to retail leader and the lessons he’s carried across three decades: build teams with care, remove friction for customers, and design stores that invite discovery. He opens the doors to BAM’s community engine—twice-yearly book and toy drives, Coffee for the Troops donations, school partnerships, and author events that turn shopping into civic life. Along the way, we tackle the biggest myth in the industry: that brick-and-mortar bookstores are fading. Mike’s take is clear and grounded in experience—foot traffic is strong, nostalgia is powerful, and growth is real, even as digital convenience remains part of the mix.
Curious what’s inside the Stafford store? Think broad and vibrant. Manga that flies off the shelves, a robust Faith Point section, toys and games for every age, and pop culture tie-ins that extend beloved series from page to apparel and collectibles. Whether you come for a latte and a quiet corner or for staff picks that hit the mark, the store aims to be a welcoming third place for readers, families, and fandoms alike.
If you’re ready to rediscover the joy of browsing, press play, then swing by Books-A-Million in Stafford or visit booksamillion.com to explore more. Like what you hear? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors find us.
Mike Burton
Books-A-Million
1240 Stafford Market Place, Suite 101 Stafford, VA 22556
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I'm excited to introduce you to my guest today. We've got Mike Burton joining us, and he is a district manager of Books-A- Million, including the Stafford location. Mike, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Dory. I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 1:Well, I am excited to have you as my guest. I attended the ribbon-cutting celebration of Books-A-Million a few weeks ago, and we're really excited here in Stafford to welcome Books-A-Million to 610. And so I'm excited to learn all about you and more Books-A-Million. So let's start there. Share with us, tell us about Books-A-Million.
Speaker 3:Well, we were actually founded uh in 1917. We're based out of uh Birmingham, Alabama, started as just a basic newsstand uh in Birmingham. Yeah. Um and we're now uh over 200 stores strong uh in over 32 states, so and continuing to grow, obviously, with the Stafford location, you know, now opening. Um so we're excited about what the future holds. Um, you know, our product line is very diverse. Um, you know, obviously we sell books, but uh, you know, we sell just about everything else um under under, you know, under under the name. So we're excited to be here in Stafford and uh share some of this information and product with our with our new customer base.
Speaker 1:Amazing, amazing. So I want to learn more about you. Tell me about your background and how did you get into this?
Speaker 3:Well, I uh actually started uh part-time while I was in college. I was actually studying engineering and uh kind of stumbled into to retail, to be honest with you. But what I found, Dory, was um something that I really, really enjoyed. I enjoyed customer interactions. Um, I enjoy you know being around, especially this time of the year with the holidays and all that. I enjoy that excitement and that kind of thing. Um, so I actually changed my major to uh to business. And then once I did that, you know, leadership roles started to come up come around. And um now I've been you know in some sort of leadership role uh for a little over 30 years. So uh I enjoy what I do, um being able to help people um with their success and their growth and that kind of thing. So retail is uh it's not for everybody, but man, if if you have a passion for the things that we do, uh it is a great um uh environment to be in.
Speaker 1:Amazing, amazing. Uh you and I have something in common. I'm a former high school engineering teacher. So we have something in common.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great, that's really great.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So something that I love about Books-A-Million is how the company gives back. And I was really excited to learn, especially as a former teacher, Books-A-Million Stafford is partnering up with the Stafford Education Foundation. So talk to me a little bit about that and the importance of giving back.
Speaker 3:That's that's been a passion of ours almost since inception. Uh, we've always wanted to be involved in the community because we honestly, what we offer, I think, is um crucial to communities thriving and education and you know, all of that. Of course, there are book lovers out there as well, but uh we do a book and toy drive twice a year, um, every year. We there's not always the same partner, but we try to partner with uh the same organization and we raise thousands of dollars as an organization. Um, we offer thousands of dollars worth of product to our you know, our partners. Um we also do um a coffee for the troops program uh twice a year, where you know we have that we have the ability to or customers have the ability to donate a small bag of coffee um to our service members, you know, to thank them for the service, um, this kind of thing. We work with local schools on book drives and just about anything. And obviously, we do author signings and events and all of that, you know, as an organization. So our our community outreach is very, very strong, and it's something that we're really, really proud of as an organization.
Speaker 1:I love that. That's amazing. I love that. Thank you for that.
Speaker 2:Not a problem.
Speaker 1:We appreciate it. Do you find that there are any myths or misconceptions about Books-A-Million or even about the industry?
Speaker 3:The number one myth is you know, people believe that brick and mortar bookstores are no longer viable. And that that can't be further from the truth. Um, we have right right now, I'm in a store that's just, I mean, it's so busy, it's crazy. Um people love picking up a book, the smell of a book, you know, turning a page, you know, and that kind of thing. Um, that that nostalgia is something that's very, very hard to get rid of. Um, we, you know, we offer a digital presence as well, but there's nothing like walking into a book, a Books-A-Million and and just find the comfort. When we when I when when we look at our customers, we believe customers come in to escape, you know, because that's kind of what books do for you, right? Um, so our job is to just have navigate them to the area they want to be in and hopefully help them find something that they are really, really going to enjoy. So that's the biggest myth, is they people think that that you know, we're not and we're growing all the time. So yeah, it that if we could just get people to understand that that's not gonna go away. Now, the digital footprint is important because you know convenience is important to a lot of people today, but um, yeah, there there's nothing like you know walking into a bookstore and and finding what you love, even just to browse, right? Yeah, it's really, really good.
Speaker 1:I agree with that, and I feel like when it comes to certain types of media, digital is okay, but when it comes to the escape, like you mentioned, and the um reading for enjoyment, yeah, it's gotta be like you gotta be able to hold it in your hand. Hold that book.
Speaker 2:That's exactly right. That page is yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Definitely, definitely. So tell me, Mike, you clearly are very busy. You are running a very large operation. So when you're not working, what are you doing for fun? We need to know.
Speaker 3:I enjoy spending time with friends and family. Um, you know, I'm I'm big in my church, um, so you know that keeps me kind of occupied. And really just about anything that uh challenges my brain, challenges my mind. I think that's why I was in engineering originally, because I the creativity kind of comes with that. Um, but yeah, just about anything like that. I like to travel. Um, you know, I I'm not um I'm not one of those that can just sit around and and do nothing. I so I enjoy just kind of getting out the outdoors, I love the mountains, you know, anything like that pleasures me where I can kind of just get some comfort and keep my brain going. So yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nice, nice. So, what is something that you wish the listeners knew about Books-A-Million?
Speaker 3:Something that I wish the listeners knew. Um we offer a huge variety of things. Books, obviously, is our number one um selling item, obviously, but we offer you know toys and games for kids and adults. Um, we have a very popular Faith Point um department. Manga, oh my goodness. Manga is so crazy. So many people love that product. Pop culture, I mean, you name it. We, you know, we we I guess my my point is we offer a variety of things, and most of them are tied to books. A lot of our giftable items are so like you know, I'll give you a title, like Stranger Things right now, you know, very popular series. Um, obviously we have books on that, but we have you know, apparel, we have Funko Pop, you know, all those things that are low are tied to that. You get people that are really, really into that um that scene, you can find just about anything you want when you walk into a Books-A-Million.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice. So if the listeners want to learn more about Books-A-Million or connect with you, where can they find you?
Speaker 3:Visit our website uh at booksamillion.com or just walk into one of our stores and talk to our associates. Um, you'll probably get the same answer that you know you're getting right now. Um, it's we're a great place to come shop, um, just to hang out with and that kind of thing. Um, but as far as the organization goes, visit the website because there's a lot of information there as well. And we have an online presence, as I mentioned, digital, so you can actually buy a product from the site.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice. Mike, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing Books-A-Million with us.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for having me, Dori, and you have a great day, okay?
Speaker:Thanks, you too. All right, bye bye. Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG NeighborsPodcast.com.