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Russo's Books closing downtown store
| Tuesday, Jul 22 2008 4:54 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jul 23 2008 7:36 AM
Russo’s Books, the city’s only independent book store chain, is closing its downtown location after 12 years in business.
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The family-owned, Bakersfield-based chain still operates two other stores: in The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave., and East Hills Mall, 3000 Mall View Road. Those will remain open, as will Internet sales.
“The economy is slow and there just wasn’t enough business to continue operating all three, especially when two of them were just three and a half miles apart,” said owner Michael Russo.
The downtown store at 1416 17th St. was staffed by Russo family members and one paid employee. The employee will be transferred to one of the other stores, most likely the one at The Marketplace, Russo said.
The downtown store was the smallest of the three at 1,500 square feet. The East Hills store is 2,200 square feet and The Marketplace store is 6,500 square feet.
Downtown’s Russo’s, which had been in business since 1996, is liquidating its merchandise, and any equipment and merchandise that can’t be sold will be moved to the East Hills location.
The store to be shuttered is in the Haberfelde Building in a space previously occupied by Babcock Books. The lease on the space is up in April.
John Sarad, owner of the Haberfelde, said he was disappointed but not surprised.
“So many people are buying books online now,” he said. “It’s hard for the independents to compete with their prices, or even on speed. You can get books delivered overnight now.”
Sarad worries that the loss of “quality retailers” downtown is creating an opening for pawn shops and other businesses he believes will hurt downtown’s image.
“A lot of effort was put into cleaning up downtown,” he said. “I don’t want it to backslide.”
Cathy Butler, president of the Downtown Business Association, could not be reached for comment.
Ironically, the Russo’s closure was announced just as the company was preparing to kick off a campaign to urge shoppers to buy from local, independent retailers. The campaign is a marketing program of the Southern California Book Sellers Association, of which Russo’s is a member.
“This is a good example of what can happen when people don’t support their local merchants,” Russo said. “I don’t think anybody wants Bakersfield to turn into a bedroom community with cookie cutter chains.”