Your Bookshop: Westpoint and Top Ryde stores Closing July 2015

Friday, June 12, 2015

Westpoint and Top Ryde stores Closing July 2015

Matt & Kim - Westpoint

YB Westpoint - closing July '15

As I write this, I'm filled with terrible sadness. I love books. Real books. And it's just a natural extension of my love of books that I should also love bookstores. Any bookstore. Old, shambolic ones with books stacked over the floor, and larger, corporate franchises.

In a world where everything is set at hyper-speed, bookstores have always been a refuge from the maddening pace. They are a place of magic, discovery and serendipity. They are no pop-up ads, no hard selling. You get to talk to a real person at the counter, browse through real bookshelves and leaf through real books. This is not an experience that can be replicated on-line.

Sharyn & Craig - YB Ryde

Banafsheh Serov - YB Ryde

In recent years many factors have influenced the operation of our bookstores. The obvious ones are the effects of ebooks and overseas online retail giants encroaching on our market. Heavy discounting from department stores, and more recently the uncertainty in consumer confidence has further chipped away our sales. At the same time, increases in operational costs have eroded our margins to a point that no longer keeps the business viable.

This problem is not exclusive to our stores. It's a common issue facing retailers across the country. Some may argue low prices are a good thing for consumers.

In our case, our bookstores run numerous events, including author talks at local schools and libraries, donate prices to community events, and help customers with more book queries than we can keep track of. In short, we're an integral part of the community. But with our operation (and manpower) greatly reduced, we've been forced to re-evaluate if we're still able to continue the services we've been providing. For the time being, we're persevering with our events program but if the revenues continue to fall, then we simply won't be able to afford to support the programs.

And that can't be a good thing for the community. Or the consumer.

As we prepare to wind up the stores, I get a breaking feeling every time I tell a customer we're closing. We share a look, sensing the other's loss. Neither one of us want it to be true.

On behalf of myself and my staff, I'd like to extend our gratitude to our customers for their patronage and in sharing our passion for books. We hope our paths will cross again and we'd look back with fondness over our shared experiences.