Ran across an interesting article on a small independent bookstore on 7th Ave. in New York. Community Bookstore was purchased a month before 911 by Catherine Bohne who began working there as a clerk in 1994. Ms. Bohne borrowed the money using her mother's home and her apartment as collateral.
Now the story really starts to sound like one of my favorites movies, You've Got Mail , starring Tom Hanks as Joe Fox the big box bookstore owner. Remember The Shop Around The Corner and financial troubles for Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly whose mother owned the shop she inherited.
Like the movie, Ms. Bohne had a Barnes and Noble open close by, plus internet sales through Amazon contributed to the little store's demise. Her huge debt caused her to cut employees and titles, but this only added to lost sales.
Several customers stepped up including Erika Doering, David Sweeny, and actor John Turturro to help with an investment in the store to keep the charming bookstore solvent. Well as the great American dream continues Community Bookstore's sales have been ahead of projections!
Yes, I shop at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Books-A-Million because we do not have the charming little independent bookstores here. I wish we did! Some where over the rainbow!
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