Booksellers in US launch new network of independents

Story taken from Publisher Weekly.com

Two long-time independents, Susan Novotny, owner of the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany, N.Y., and David Didriksen, owner of Willow Books in Acton, Mass., are taking advantage of the shrinking footprint of chain retailers by launching Bookstore Solutions Management, or BS Management as it is affectionately known. The idea is to open a network of independent bookstores in spaces previously occupied by chain bookstores that had become community destinations.

The first new independent to be opened will be Wakefield Books, due to open today. Not only is it opening on the site of the 30-year-old Wakefield, R.I., Waldenbooks that closed at the end of January, but it also has the same booksellers, shelving and fixtures. There will however be some changes in store. There will be a new carpet throughout, a new lick of paint, a newly built counter, and importantly a newly agreed title selection. Each of these changes will transform the store into an independent. It already sports an Eat, Sleep, Read poster covering the Walden and Borders Express names. The 2,500 sq. ft. store will also have a large local section because of the tourists drawn to nearby Narragansett Beach and a larger children’s area.

For Novotny, it’s essential that each store be joined to its community in name and spirit. Didriksen adds that, “Just because we have new toys on the market doesn’t mean books and bookstores are going to go away. Smaller, community-based bookstores that are run in a business-minded fashion will survive.”

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