ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE METCALF
Mega booksellers, whether online or brick-and-mortar, dominate the literary retail landscape. Though independents have a loyal customer base, they’re still vulnerable to upheaval, such as changing demographics, rising rents, or construction. For some, this can mean relocation – not an appealing prospect when your store is entrenched in its neighborhood.
When the owners of Kidsbooks, a children’s bookstore in Vancouver, learned the building that had housed its flagship store for more than 20 years was going to be demolished, founder Phyllis Simon and co-owner Kelly McKinnon were deeply concerned. “We said, Uh-oh, we’d better figure out what we’re going to do. Should we close the location? Look for another place to rent?”