Brunswick Bookland, Brunswick, Me., one of the Bookland of Maine stores
bought by some of its employees following the former parent company's 2000
bankruptcy, is showing that the store is not just surviving but
thriving: it plans to open a branch in Rockland, Me., as early as
October but in time for the holidays. Brunswick and Rockland are both on
the Maine coast, about 50 miles apart.
The new 18,000-sq.-ft. store will be in the Breakwater Marketplace
Building, an older building that is being renovated. The new store will
be much like the original, with its broad selection of titles,
audiobook rentals, some used paperbacks, magazines, gifts and stationery and a
cafe. "Once we open and get a feel for the customer base, our selection
could change somewhat," assistant manager Bertha Brown told Shelf Awareness.
Not long after the change in ownership, a developer in Rockland approached Brunswick Bookland about opening a store in a project he was building. But "it was too soon for us," Brown said. When he approached the store again about the new opportunity, the timing was "much better," Brown added.
The new 18,000-sq.-ft. store will be in the Breakwater Marketplace
Building, an older building that is being renovated. The new store will
be much like the original, with its broad selection of titles,
audiobook rentals, some used paperbacks, magazines, gifts and stationery and a
cafe. "Once we open and get a feel for the customer base, our selection
could change somewhat," assistant manager Bertha Brown told Shelf Awareness.Not long after the change in ownership, a developer in Rockland approached Brunswick Bookland about opening a store in a project he was building. But "it was too soon for us," Brown said. When he approached the store again about the new opportunity, the timing was "much better," Brown added.