Woolly Bear Books & Gifts, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore, will open Thursday in Carnegie, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh.
Located at 117 E. Main St., the roughly 250-square-foot store is "stuffed to the brim," said owner Mike Ploetz, with about half of the inventory belonging to children's books and half to adult books. While many topics and genres are represented, Ploetz noted that in the children's section there is a particularly strong collection of titles related to nature, environmental science, and animal science, and for adults, there is a robust selection of science fiction. Though the store is small, he emphasized, the inventory is wide, and there is "something for everybody."
Alongside books, Ploetz will carry "quite a range" of gift and nonbook items, including locally made candles, magnets, T-shirts, vegan soaps, and a "whole wall" of letterpress cards. Ploetz explained that part of the focus on gifts comes from his interest in visual merchandising, and he can create much more vibrant displays with books and gifts than books alone.
Asked about events, Ploetz said that aside from grand-opening festivities this weekend, he won't be hosting events right away. As the store's sole employee, he intends to find his footing first, but plans to look into event programming in the new year. Given the store's small size, Ploetz imagines he might host readings and signings in partnership with the local library or with local businesses.
The store's namesake is the woolly bear caterpillar, a species of native caterpillar covered in red and brown hairs. In addition to books, gardening is one of Ploetz's passions (he is in the process of completing a master gardener training program), and when thinking about a "fun and friendly" mascot for the store, he thought of the woolly bear caterpillar. They're harmless, local, and their coloring goes very well with the Halloween opening.
For a long time now, Ploetz has had an interest in bookselling from "both sides of the sales counter." Prior to launching Woolly Bear Books & Gifts, he worked in children's publishing for seven years, primarily in marketing. He started at Little Bee Books before moving to Penguin Random House and DK. And well before that, Ploetz worked at a bookstore and gift shop while attending college at the University of Pittsburgh, where he developed a fondness for both selling books and for visual merchandising.
Given commercial rents in the New York area, opening a store there never quite seemed feasible. But after returning to the Pittsburgh area about two years ago, Ploetz began to think about the possibility much more seriously. At the end of August Ploetz decided to finally pull the trigger, and it has been a "whirlwind" since.
While the experience of getting the store ready to open with such a short runway has been "chaotic," Ploetz said, he's met with a great response so far. His former colleagues at DK have been "really supportive," and excited for him, and when he introduced himself to nearby business owners after leasing the space, he received a lot of support. Community members also seem eager, with Ploetz mentioning he's heard excited remarks about the store from people walking by. He's also seen interest and enthusiasm about the store in a local Facebook group.
"Obviously it's nerve-racking," Ploetz said, "but I believe their response is going to be strong." --Alex Mutter