NORWELL
Recent renovations and a high traffic location were not enough for discount bookstore Books & More in Norwell to remain in business.
Owner Jay Phillips of Plymouth opened the store at 412 Washington St. in Norwell in December 2010. He said his goal was to offer customers deep discounts on books, games and toys without sacrificing quality and selection.
Today, a sign along the parking lots edge reads, “Going out of business sale.”
“We have given it a good try but the retail bookstore, even in a discounted form like mine, is for a time which has passed,” Phillips wrote in an email.
Phillips’ deep discounts were no match for a struggling economy and an industry-altering, technology-driven e-reading market, he said.
“I tried to do something different with the pricing and having the store focus on children’s (books), cooking and art or books with lower digital demand,” Phillips added. “Like many businesses in a down economy, I didn’t succeed.”
Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, said a slumping economy and lengthy recession are dominating factors in the demise of many small businesses.
“With the booming smart phone sales translating into big growth in mobile commerce, much of the sales are going to Internet sites which have lower costs by operating out of cubicles and warehouses,” Hurst wrote in an email.
The 42-year-old formerly owned, operated, managed and worked in bookstores since 1989 and, in recent years, ran stores under the same name in Plymouth and Carver.
He moved his Plymouth bookstore to Carver in October 2009, where he operated that shop until September of 2010. In search of a higher-traffic location, Phillips then reopened the business on Route 53 in Norwell a few months later.
The store’s closing date is estimated for mid-March, Phillips said, providing him with adequate time to liquidate inventory.
Books & More employs three workers – all of whom, including Phillips, have found other jobs, he said. “I have enjoyed our stay in Norwell,” he said. “Readers will be sad, like us, but it is also a great opportunity (for customers) to load up the bookshelves for the kids and adults.”