What a trend!
Two independent bookstores are opening in malls in space vacated by Waldenbooks that were closed by Borders Group in the last year.
Rivendell Books, the new and used bookstores in downtown Montpelier, Vt., is opening a second store, in the Berlin Mall, in space that had been occupied by a Waldenbooks that closed in January 2010.
Owned by Robert Kasow and Claire Benedict, who also own Bear Pond Books, a new bookstore that is also in Montpelier, Rivendell will offer "a wide selection" of new books as well as used mystery, fiction and romance titles. Several other local businesses have opened in the mall alongside national chains.
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Farther south in New England, two independent booksellers and the owner of a mall have teamed up to found a new store called Wakefield Books in the Wakefield Mall in Wakefield, R.I., in space that was occupied by a Waldenbooks that closed last month. The Walden outlet had been there 31 years and was Wakefield's only full-service bookstore.
Former Walden staff is joining Wakefield Books. "This bookstore and its staff have a special place in the hearts of our community," store manager Bob Ryan said. "When Borders announced our liquidation, the community voiced its grief."
Wakefield Books, which has its grand opening tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., is owned jointly by Susan Novotny, owner of the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y., and Market Block Books, Troy, N.Y., and co-owner of the Troy Book Makers, Troy, N.Y.; David Didriksen, owner of Willow Books, Acton, Mass.; and Jeff Levy, owner of the Wakefield Mall.
"David, Jeff and I bring over 100 years of combined experience in retail and bookselling to this venture," Novotny said. "What we saw in Bob Ryan and the staff was an impressive loyalty and dedication to bookselling and the community. Our combined chemistry is working beautifully and Wakefield, R.I., will be among the first communities across the nation where the book phoenix rises from the ashes."
Referring to e-books and e-readers, Didriksen said, "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."
Wakefield Books is located at 160 Old Tower Rd., Wakefield, R.I. 02879; 401-792-0000; wakefieldbooks.com (which is not yet up and running).
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To emphasize that this is a trend, several booksellers report having received contacts from mall operators seeking bookstores, in many cases to replace Walden and Dalton stores closed by Borders and Barnes & Noble. For example, Columbia Mall in Grand Forks, N.D., is seeking a new bookstore to replace a closed Walden and a closed Dalton, which together had revenues of more than $2 million.