A long running Memphis business is closing its doors. After more than thirty years, Booksellers at Laurelwood announced it’ll be closing for good because of financial reasons. Since the announcement, there’s been an outpouring of support from the Mid-South.
There’s a petition online in an effort to keep Booksellers open. It has more than 70 signatures. But as of right now, it appears Booksellers will close in the next couple of months.
The owner, Neil Van Uum, says letting go after 22 years is tough, and he’s humbled by the overwhelming amount of support. “I don’t remember the last time a restaurant or retail store made the headline of a newspaper. The closing of a restaurant or retail store.”
Some might assume it was Black Friday inside Booksellers at Laurelwood. The place has been packed since it was announced the store and bistro is going out of business.
For customers like Jeanne Jones, Booksellers is more than just a book store. She can’t picture not coming here.
“We love the tomato soup. We love the cards. Everything about it,” says Jones. “I just wish we had given them more of the business to keep it here. I had no idea!”
“I also know what this store has meant to a lot of people through the years. This has been their place.” Van Uum says he exhausted every option to try to keep Booksellers open, but he’ll have to pay the ultimate price – no thanks to online shopping. “Book retailing has changed. The large store format has been in retraction for 15 years.”
“Something might come along. I’d love to see a bookstore in this area in a smaller space and I’m kind of working to see if something like that can happen.” Van Uum says this isn’t how he pictured the story ending, but it’s out of his hands.
Van Uum says his staff is great. The store is great. The space, however, is too big. He says money could change that. “There’s some great people here that could make that happen and I would be 110% behind helping them and ensuring that it went well.”
“If I could put all the money I’ve spent on Amazon and Kendall and bring it back I would!” says Jones.
The liquidation sale starts this Friday. Booksellers could close by the end of February. The bistro inside the store will close for good Sunday.
