Brilliant Books in Traverse City, Mich., will close its physical store and transition to an online-only model, WPBN reported.
"While this was an incredibly difficult decision, and we are heartbroken it has come to this, this is not the final chapter for Brilliant Books," read a message to customers announcing the closure. "For nearly two decades, it has been our privilege to be a part of this wonderfully bookish community, and we are deeply grateful for your support."
Although the Brilliant Books team did not give a definite timeline for the closure, the store's hours will be shortened in the coming weeks. At the same time, the "top priority" will be fulfilling commitments related to preordered titles, gift certificates, and the Brilliant Books Monthly subscription service, which will continue after the storefront's closure.
"This next chapter may look different, but Brilliant Books' commitment to a vibrant, book-loving community remains strong," the announcement noted.
Owner Peter Makin opened Brilliant Books in Traverse City in 2011. Previously, there had been another Brilliant Books location in Suttons Bay, which opened in 2007. The store created its monthly subscription service as a way to sell books to seasonal customers year-round, and by 2013, it had gained members all over the country who had never visited Traverse City or the bookstore.
In 2015, Makin and Brilliant Books received widespread news coverage for offering refunds for Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman, which Makin described as not a new book but "a first draft that was originally, and rightfully, rejected."
In 2024, Brilliant Books launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay off suppliers and settle debts the store accrued during the Covid-19 pandemic.