Bookland to close its

If you like reading and books the way I like reading and books, you’re going to be upset by what I have to say. Bookland is closing its store at Three Star Mall and the last day is coming up quick ‘ this Saturday, April 12.
If you think all of this is happening so suddenly, you’re right. Bookland employees were notified Wednesday and Business Pulse got the unfortunate word Thursday morning. The store closing will put seven people out of work.
‘It’s devastating because we are like family here,’ said employee Teresa Talley. ‘We spend more time here than we do at home. It’s going to hurt this town a lot more than it’s going to hurt Books A Million. They’ll just pack up and move on while McMinnville will lose a good bookstore.’
Teresa is absolutely right. Books A Million, which is the parent company of Bookland, owns eight other stores in the Midstate and a total of 200 in 19 states. It’s the third largest book retailer in the nation.
Three Star Mall, meanwhile, loses one of its draws. Just when the mall seemed to take a giant step forward with the addition of Roses (more on that later), it takes a step back with the loss of Bookland.
The two reasons Bookland employees were giving for the store closing were: 1) not enough business, and 2) and rent increase at the mall. Apparently the addition of Roses makes the Bookland spot more valuable.
The question everybody keeps asking is if there will be a spectacular going out of business sale. The answer is no. After Bookland closes, its merchandise will be packed up and transported to another location. There’s no reason to slash prices with 199 more stores out there.
I’m sorry to see Bookland leave, but I can’t help but make this observation. The store lost a fair amount of business by not having a person stationed at the cash register. Sometimes an employee wasn’t visible anywhere.
I know I have placed an item I wanted to purchase on the counter and walked away because there was no one there to take my money. And I’ve talked to many other people who have shared that exact same experience.
In the end, I think this is a bigger loss than mall officials might like to admit. And it’s certainly a loss for the book-buying residents of Warren County.