Shopping Hacks From Big Bad Wolf 2023

We all missed Big Bad Wolf—and thankfully, after its three years of absence, it made its much-awaited comeback to treat bookworms of all ages! From June 23 until July 3 at the PICC Forum Tent, fellow book-loving friends gathered for a shopping run to stock up on their favorite titles at super affordable prices!

But with over two million books available, how did our team navigate and efficiently make a successful book run in just a few hours? It sure got overwhelming, especially with the volume of novels and other steals at the event. We’re sharing some of our strategies so you’re ready for the next BBW!

1. Come early.

If you're like us who who just needed to get specific books asap, come prepared and early. Since the book fair opened at 10 a.m., we made sure to standby once the doors let us in. You know how it is—the popular titles get sold out fast, so we had to hurry!

2. Or come in late.

But if you’re the type who wants to take your time scouring over the heaps and piles of books and doesn’t have a particular book that you want to grab asap, come at the time most suitable for you. In our case, we went during midnight, as BBW ran until 1 a.m.! It’s all about knowing your priorities.

3. Prepare a list.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, we made our list of must-buys. This came down from research and constantly checking the BBW social media pages. We wrote down the names of the authors we liked, and took note of the number of people we were buying books. That way, it was easier to overlook the unimportant ones and we just focused on the must-buy items.

4. Remember the sections.

It helped that we already knew where to rush over when we arrived at BBW. The rightmost side near the counters housed fiction titles and graphic novels, while the center part carried self-help and guide books from cooking to fashion and even agriculture! Towards the left side, all baby and kiddie goods were located—and that's also where we found the food kiosks.

5. Set your budget.

We really tried to keep to our budget, honest! Because of this we knew from the get-go if we'll be carrying a basket or we needed a cart. Prices ranged from P20 up to more than P1,000, depending on what type of book we chose.

6. Bring an eco-bag.

This is a must. We didn't just get to help mother earth in the process, we also saved a bit of money. However, during some of our impromptu visits, we did forget to bring extra bags, so we bought the super cute tote! 

7. Forgive yourself for going over the limit.

So you find yourself at the check-out counter (like we did), and over budget, forgive yourself for going over your book allowance. Big Bad Wolf just comes in once a year, and you’re doing it for a good cause: Gawad Kalinga’s RED READERHOOD CSR. For this, Big Bad Wolf pledged 1,000 books to be distributed to Gawad Kalinga communities across the country. Or you can also choose to give away some of your purchased books in the designated donation books as these will also be delivered to Gawad Kalinga.

For more information, visit Big Bad Wolf Books or through their Facebook and Instagram accounts.