Greenville, SC’s The Open Book intends to close shortly after almost 40 years in business, with a closing sale starting this week. Owner Duff Bruce says, “It is emotional, I am emotional about the business, I am emotional about the customers, but you have to be a realist.”
Local coverage
Ohio’s The Mystery Company will also close shortly, after seven years in business. Jim Huang says in a blog post “business here has been rough for a while, especially since gas prices spiked in the summer of 2008.” Plus: “Independent booksellers need to find ways to participate in print on demand, to offer electronic texts and the devices on which they’re read, and to be available 24/7 with robust, full-featured virtual stores on the web in addition to keeping our real, brick-and-mortar stores open and lively. Some of this is possible today, some of this is still beyond the reach of small independents. But going forward, all of this is necessary and all of this will take resources beyond what we have at our disposal.”
Store post