Hi-Voltage Records, a new and used record store in Tacoma, Wash., has taken over an adjacent storefront and added a selection of about 2,600 new books, the Tacoma News Tribune reported. The expansion, which made its debut on Black Friday, also sells T-shirts, posters and DVDs.
Owners Meredith and Brian Kenney, who opened the store about 17 years ago, are offering books for all ages and plan to add used books to the mix. Meredith Kenney said she's particularly proud of the store's children's book selection, which makes the store feel like a destination for the whole family. She explained that adding books wasn't part of any long-term business plan, but it came about quickly after the soap-and-pottery store next door closed earlier this year.
"This was not a long, thought-out, meticulously planned adventure. But it came together so easily for us because we had a business already going, which is what allowed us to be able to take a little bit of a risk," Kenney told the News Tribune. She noted that there seems to be a natural overlap between people who are interested in vinyl and people who are interested in physical books. "There are some things, in life, that I think just won't go away. I think books and music will always be a part of people's lives."
Brian Kenney added that he's always wanted to have a bookstore. There's a certain feeling people get when they walk into a record store, and it's "the same thing when you walk into a bookstore."