Dominant Canadian bookseller Indigo will close two iconic Toronto stores in the coming months. The site that houses the store known as The World’s Biggest Bookstore (though it isn’t) is being sold to a developer and the building will be vacated by April 2014. The property has been owned by David Cole, son of Cole Books founder Jack Cole. Indigo owns Cole Books, and has been leasing the store. Indigo is also closing the Runnymede Chapters, a splendid store in a restored theater that was recently featured in a BuzzFeed listicle of 16 beautiful bookstores around the world. Indigo’s vp of […]
Bookstores
Bookstore News
With Small Business Saturday still over a week away, the Indies First initiative has enrolled almost 900 authors who will be working as volunteers at more than 400 bookstores. Started by author Sherman Alexie, the program has been coordinated by the ABA, which has a posted map and list of participating stores (which is being updated continuously). Among the authors enrolled are Diana Gabaldon, Richard Russo, Cheryl Strayed, Wally Lamb, Dave Barry, Larry Watson, Jon Scieszka, Laurie Halse Anderson, Daniel Handler, Garth Stein, Maria Semple, and Adam Johnson. Dallas retailer Brian Bolke will open the small-format Chapter Two bookstore later […]
Bookstores in the News: Dutton’s, Another BN Closing, Strand Controversy
Billionaire developer (and associate of Warren Buffett) Charlie Munger has been trying to redevelop the space where Dutton’s Books resides in Brentwood, CA at least since 2007. But apparently the current version of that plan has been dropped and the 1951 building which houses the bookstore is spared again, for now. But you can add another Barnes & Noble closing to our list from last week. After unsuccessful lease negotiations, the chain will close their store at Sycamore Plaza store in Kenwood, OH just outside of Cincinnati. It is the seventh known end-of-year closing for BN. On the uglier side, […]
Widespread Layoffs At Follett’s College Bookstores
On Friday, college bookstore operator Follett Higher Education Group announced widespread layoffs across their stores, eliminating 570 full-time positions. The memo from svp retail operations Bob Scholl was posted on a web site featuring comments from anonymous employees. The company is converting those full-time jobs into more flexible part-time positions, which the company strains to position as providing a better experience in stores for customers. According to the post, Scholl wrote: “Managers across many of our stores took a series of difficult actions tied to an important Follett initiative…. In order to deliver the hassle-free shopping experience that our customers expect, […]
Stretching the Holidays, at Barnes & Noble
Retailers of all kinds have been looking for creative ways to stretch the important holiday shopping period since this year’s late Thanksgiving provides the shortest possible span of 26 days until Christmas. (And Hannukah actually begins on Thanksigiving day.) Barnes & Noble has responded by inventing “Discovery Friday” for November 22, “created to serve as the official launch of the holiday shopping season and help customers experience the thrill of discovering the perfect gifts for friends and family.” On that day, “Barnes & Noble’s booksellers will be on the front lines to provide personalized recommendations.” Their stores will also feature a […]
Some End-of-Year Barnes & Noble Store Closings
Barnes & Noble often closes a handful of stores around the end of calendar year due to expiring leases that are not renewed. We charted reports of 8 such closings at the end of 2012, and 7 at the end of 2011. So far this season, we have spotted news of another 6 store closings due at the end of this year, for locations in Chestnut Hill, MA; Boylston Street, Boston, MA; University Park Village and Sundance Square in Ft. Worth, TX; Old Pasadena, CA; and Columbia, SC. In June, at the close of their fiscal year, the company said […]