Black Bond Books, which has taken over the 632 West Broadway location of Book Warehouse, reports their first week in the new store has exceeded all expectations. Cathy Jesson, who co-owns Black Bond Books with her ex-husband Mel Jesson, said it has been a wonderful week.
After reaching a last-minute deal to buy the store there wasn’t much time to re-stock or plan for the reopening, she said.
“We were planning on a soft opening, but last Friday was far beyond our expectations.
“The customers have been wonderful, bringing in flowers and bringing in gifts – they’re very happy.”
Cathy started in book sales under her mother Madeline Neill, who opened Black Bond Books in Brandon, Man. in 1963. The family later moved to B.C., opening the first Black Bond store in White Rock in 1972.
Now Cathy’s daughter, Caitlyn Jesson, is managing the Broadway store, which will retain the Book Warehouse name. The store is one of 12 Black Bond locations employing more than 100 people.
Caitlyn is working with James Ferrier, the long-term manager of the Book Warehouse store at Broadway and Ash. The pair have lined up Wayne Pacelle, CEO and president of the American Humane Society, as the store’s first author appearance. He’ll be leading a discussion on his new book, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them, as well as a question-and-answer session and book-signing at noon on Father’s Day, June 17.
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The event will be the first of many for the Broadway store, Caitlyn said, adding her goal is to make the store a Vancouver cultural destination, like Portland’s Powell’s Books. (That store occupies an entire city block in Portland and is a top tourist destination.)
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Despite the industry’s challenges, both Caitlyn and Cathy say they’re hopeful bookstores have a viable future.
“First there were the big box stores, then ebooks and Amazon,” Cathy said. “We just try to keep on going, which I think we have done a pretty good job of.”
She added Black Bond noticed an uptick in business in mid-December, which has continued. In May, sales were up seven per cent over last year. Cathy attributes the growth to a renewed support for community bookstores, adding they’ve strategically opened their stores in smaller town centres and intentionally built community relationships. That community focus will continue at the Broadway store, Caitlyn said.
“There are plenty of book lovers around. As long as we continue with our customer service and broad selection, we’ll still be around,” she said.
Margaret Reynolds, executive director of the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia, said B.C. publishers are thrilled that Black Bond has taken over the Book Warehouse location.
“It’s not just self-serving, though we are delighted to have a place to showcase Canadian books, but it’s also about the quality of our life in Vancouver,” Reynolds said. “How can we call ourselves a world-class city when we have so few bookstores? This is a step in the right direction; let’s hope there are more stores to come.”
The Book Warehouse’s four stores closed May 26 when founder and co-owner Sharman King retired. King said at the time the decision was not due to economics, but rather the fact that his leases were expiring and he was ready to retire. King co-owned the stores with his wife, Diana, and business partner Tommy Banks.
Black Bond Books promotes the “one book pledge,” a growing movement among independent booksellers asking customers to buy, in any given month, just one more book from an independent store rather than Amazon or a big box store. Cathy said the gesture would keep bookstores in business.
“It would be a really sad thing to think that this might be the last generation to see a bookstore in their neighbourhood.”
Both Book Warehouse and Black Bond Books focus on providing bargain books such as overstocks, reprints, slightly damaged books, samples, bankruptcy stock and special imports.
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