Book Warehouse, Vancouver's iconic discount bookseller is closing after thirty-two years.
VANCOUVER, March 15, 2012 /CNW/ - "Our leases are expiring and so are we," explained founder Sharman King in announcing the closure. "We've had a fantastic three decades of bookselling in Greater Vancouver. We're leaving with no regrets and many, many happy memories of customers, colleagues, suppliers and books.
"Bookselling in Canada can be a difficult proposition at the best of times, and discount bookselling adds even more difficulty. We were successful for so many years because of our incredible staff, and they have been extremely loyal through the difficult decision to close. A business is nothing more than its customers and staff, and we have been blessed with the loyalty of both."
King says that he has especially valued Book Warehouse's participation in the cultural life of Vancouver. "Because the owners were all musicians we naturally sought out partnerships with publishers, other booksellers and performing arts organizations. We've had long relationships with Vancouver Opera, The Cultch, Bard on the Beach, Vancouver International Film Festival, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Playhouse, MusicFest Vancouver, Vancouver Kids' Festival, Vancouver Writers and Readers Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival and many, many more arts organizations. We're really going to miss working with these groups - they define our community."
Book Warehouse started as a remainder bookstore at 632 West Broadway in 1980 and quickly grew to a promotional multi-store bookseller by pioneering a customer-first policy of discounting every book including all current and bestselling titles. The discounts ranged from at least twenty percent to the truly absurd. At times books were sold for nine cents, or by the pound, or by the foot. At one time customers were even PAID a nickel to take a book. Book Warehouse is remembered for its humorous print and television advertising featuring the owner with a tuba or a trombone. "We've had a lot of fun," says King, "and we've sold well over ten million books, all at great prices. By any measure, that brought a lot of reading pleasure and a lot of savings for our customers."
Book Warehouse will be selling all its stock and fixtures. The closing sale will be in full swing by Thursday March 15 and will continue for several weeks. King says, "There is over a mile of books on our shelves - that's a lot of books (and a lot of bookshelves!) to sell. We have to sell all of them, and we hope to be as outlandish and to have as much fun in our closing sale as we've ever had. Who knows what we'll be doing as the weeks go on? We sort of forgot to stop ordering books, so our warehouse is jammed with thousands more books. We'll keep putting them into the stores, which should give many opportunities for our customers to say their goodbyes to their favorite booksellers, and walk away with even more incredible bargains.
"All joking and business considerations aside, it's been a great ride for these 32 years. That's entirely thanks to the hundreds of dedicated staff and many thousands of customers we've had over the years, and that will be the memory we will all take away from our bookselling adventure. Thank you to everyone who has ever supported Book Warehouse as a customer, supplier or employee."
Sharman King 604 928 0444
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