Seaburn Bookstore, "Astoria's only independent bookseller," will close at the end of the year, the New York Daily News reported. Owner Sam Chekwas had explored the possibility of relocating his Queens, N.Y., store earlier this year before deciding to remain in his current location (Shelf Awareness, March 17, 2011), but could not counter the effects of declining sales, a rent increase and competition from e-books.
"I feel quite awful about it. We gave it all we had.... The sales were just not there to justify it," said Chekwas, who plans to open a small bookstore next year in his Long Island City warehouse, which is used for his independent book publishing company and online sales business.
