"Anchoring in the community these days and connecting with the community will help us be successful," said Michelle Schwabe, owner of three $10 or Less Bookstores in southern California. The Santa Clarita Valley Signal reported that "Schwabe attributes the success of her growing number of small bookstores to readers who still like to browse the selection physically."
In addition to a large warehouse at its corporate office in Simi Valley, where the first bookshop opened in 2005, Schwabe and her husband operate stores in Northridge and Valencia. The average size of the shops is 4,000 square feet.
"I think there's a big segment of our population still wants the tactile feel vs. electronic segment," she said. "Also, I think the key factor is you're going to get the books under $10 and you're also getting a great variety."
