Rebecca Bender and Jesse Traub, new owners of Canterbury Book Store in Escanaba, Mich., have been making changes to the nearly 50-year-old store since they purchased it this spring, the Daily Press reported.
Traub and Bender have reorganized the store's inventory, added a children's playroom and brought in new shelving purchased from a nearby, now-closed Book World. They are also remodeling the store, which includes renovating the store's ceiling and turning the second floor into a special events area. Once those renovations are finished, the owners plan to use that space for book clubs, board game nights and story time sessions.
Since taking over the store in April, Traub and Bender have gotten a better sense of what their customers prefer. Bender told the Daily Press that "adventure books, young adult fiction, paranormal romances and children's books" are some of the most popular genres.
"People have been very supportive, both with their encouragement and with buying books from us," Traub said.