As nearby bookstores have closed over the past few years, Pegasus Book Exchange in Seattle, Wash., has seen its revenues jump year-over-year and has increasingly become a destination for new books, West Seattle Blog reported.
While the majority of the store's inventory is still used books, the shop has slowly been expanding its stock of new books. Long-time employee Eric Ogriseck reported that in particular, Michelle Obama's Becoming was a "game-changer" for the store. Since its release, Pegasus has sold some 180 copies, which is unprecedented for the store. Pegasus Book Exchange also ordered more copies of Becoming for the holidays than it ever had for a new title. He added that this year the store will likely expand its new book inventory by another 10%.
Ogriseck attributed some of the increase in new book sales to the closure of the neighborhood's Barnes & Noble, which officially shut its doors on January 12. And in January 2018, Merryweather Books, an indie bookstore located just up the street from Pegasus, closed. According to West Seattle Blog, Pegasus is the last surviving bookstore in the neighborhood.
Fred and Lanthe Epps have owned Pegasus Book Exchange for nearly 40 years; their daughter Emma Epps manages the store.