Let's Play Books in Emmaus, Pa., will no longer sell books but will remain open as an events space and office, the Morning Call reported, while its sister-store The End will become the focus for book sales.
Located in Allentown, Pa., The End will close for a few days next month to reorganize and bring in more titles. Let's Play Books will officially become Let's Play Book Co., and customers who go there in search of books will be pointed to The End. Later this year, The End will expand operations to seven days per week.
Earlier this year, owner Kirsten Hess announced that the 10-year-old bookstore was facing challenges and that she was "exploring options" for its future. Many different possibilities were on the table, including relocation, limiting operating hours to the weekend, transitioning to a lending library/after-school center, and more.
Hess told the Morning Call that sales at The End are strong enough for it to be the main source of income, and she feels positive about the changes. "So much was connected to the physical location in Emmaus for me. But as soon as we evaluated everything from an objective point of view and asked what the customers really want, the storefront at Emmaus is not it."