Future looking brighter for People’s Co-op Bookstore
Posted July 24, 2014 9:57 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A few months ago the future was uncertain for a bookstore many consider the oldest in Canada.
But the future is now looking brighter for the People’s Co-op Bookstore on Commercial Drive.
Back in April, members of the co-op were looking for $10,000 to keep the doors open.
With that money now in the bank, bookstore treasurer Rolf Maurer says it’s no longer merely in survival mode.
“So now we can try to fill up the children’s section and we also need to get our website up and running,” he explains.
Plus the bookstore has a new manager, another sign the co-op plans to stick around.
The store, which is owned by its customers, was founded back in 1945. But like other independents, it is struggling to compete against big-box retailers and online book warehouses.
Memberships are integral to the shop’s success, and growth in the numbers are encouraging.
“Every week we get a handful of new members. We must be at around 750 members by now,” says Maurer.
When asked how the bookstore has survived, Maurer simply says “People want bookstores.”
