Westwinds Bookshop, the 74-year-old independent bookstore in Duxbury, Mass., will close soon unless buyers are found, the Duxbury Clipper reported.
Owners Doug and Lydia Hart, who purchased the store in 2011 from Chris and Marilyn Haraden, have decided to move on, in part because of the store's financial struggles. Doug Hart told the Clipper that he and his wife have known they would close for "a couple of years" and that they've "invested a fair amount of capital" in trying to keep it open over that time.
Hart explained that in addition to the low margins inherent to the book business, the store has struggled because they chose not to compete with other local stores that sold gift items or served food and coffee. And although the store has had a loyal customer base, it wasn't enough. Said Hart: "It's been a success in every way but financial."
Westwinds has had seven owners since Margaret Carter Metcalf opened it in 1946. When the Harts purchased it in 2011, they did so to save the store from closing. In a statement, the Harts said that the "ideal scenario" would be someone or even a cooperative stepping in to buy the store. They "welcome any inquiries."