For book lovers, 2023 isn't starting off great as a second used book store is winding down. The message in the windows is that after 50 years, the owner is retiring. That has been a common theme. Many shop owners are now decades into running their business. If no one in the family is interested in taking over or your retirement depends on selling the stock and the property, this is the inevitable result.
No one seems to be in the market to buy. But property itself often has interest from investors. St. Mary's is one of those long streets that has a bit of everything. It is also one of the busiest streets for commuters.
One of the reasons Osborne Village has struggled in recent years is that landlords don't subdivide large properties and charge so much for rent. The opportunity to buy on the street is rare. So few businesses own the land they stand on. It is why so few businesses that rent don't last decades.
There are other used book stores across town but it takes a special type of person to be a store owner and it takes a special person to be a used book store customer. And the right location on a commercial street with a price fitting a small business is essential.
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