Bradley's Book Outlet, a family-owned bookstore that primarily sells bargain books and bestsellers in eight locations across Pennsylvania, will close all of its physical locations at the end of the year, the Penn reported. Bradley's wholesale business and online business will both continue.
Michael Bradley Paper, who owns and operates the bookstore alongside his father, Lawrence Paper, told WJAC that the stores have had a difficult time turning a profit over the past few years, and now, because of the pandemic, "we have reached a point where the stores are losing money, and I do not see a path forward for a turnaround."
The Bradley's stores began liquidation sales in August, offering 20%-60% off various items. Those sales will continue until the end of the year, at which point they will lay off around 50 people. Paper did not rule out the possibility of doing pop-up shops in the future, and noted that some of the individual stores, if purchased, have the potential to turn a profit.
The first Bradley's location opened in Pittsburgh in 1993.