The UConn Co-op has opened its new 15,000-square-foot location in downtown Storrs, Conn. All general books and art books are in the new location, while textbooks, clothing, computers and art supplies have remained in the old, on-campus location. The new space will be shared with the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and a cafe, both of which will open by the end of the month.
"One thing that's immediately noticeable is that we're easier to get to," said Suzy Staubach, the Co-op's manager of general books. Since the new location's opening on November 25, the response has been good. "Some people used to not like driving on campus, but now we're getting people who we didn't see that often, or who live a little further away," Staubach said. "And people think that we have way more books. We actually don't; you can just see them now."
Sales have risen compared to this time last year, which Staubach attributes to being in the heart of Storrs's downtown and the extra room that the new space provides. Thanks to the available floor space, she's nearly tripled the size of the kids' section, and sales of children's books have increased accordingly. She added: "A lot of it, honestly, is just that the space feels so good. And people can actually see the books. It was so crammed before."
The Co-op has held several events in the new space; the biggest was the store's Indies First/Small Business Saturday festivities. Authors Pam Lewis (A Young Wife), Gina Barreca (It's Not That I'm Bitter), Norman Stevens (A Gathering of Spoons: The Design Gallery of the World's Most Stunning Wooden Art Spoons) and the married duo of Ann and Sam Charters (Brother Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation) all visited the store. Tomorrow, the store will host a visit from both Santa Claus, who will arrive riding in an old-fashioned milk truck, and author Robert Sullivan. At the old location, Staubach did not schedule readings or events during UConn's semester breaks. But thanks to the increase in traffic, she'll bring in authors and plan events all year.
In late January, once the cafe and Puppetry Museum are both fully up and running, the Co-op will host its grand opening celebration. There will be authors, puppetry exhibitions, readings and, of course, generous amounts of food and drink.
The Co-op and the Puppetry Museum will share a theater, and they'll co-host readings, signings and puppet shows. The cafe, meanwhile, will provide an assortment of French food along with the usual fare. Staubach looks forward to the day when they'll all be operating in sync: "With the three of us together, it will just be a real destination: very cultural, very artsy, with literature and music and the visual arts." --Alex Mutter
