The Downtown Bookstore in Owen Sound announced this morning the store is closing its doors.
Andre and Hazel Lyder will close up the bookstore at the end of February.
Hazel Lyder tells Bayshore Broadcasting News sales have been down all year and the Christmas shopping period was a bust.
Lyder says most retailers count on December as being the month that will carry them through the next six to eight months of the coming year, but she says their sales were to low to make it viable.
Lyder says the book industry is grappling with two phenomenon; deep online discounting and the rise of E-books.
She also points to the downtown climate in Owen Sound — saying people aren’t willing to pay for parking and that contributed to poor sales this holiday season.
Lyder’s disappointed in the very vigorous enforcement of parking this December.
Lyder has advice for City Council —- provide free parking!
The owners are also note there’s been a bit of a scale back in sales since the recession of 2008.
The Downtown Bookstore originally opened back in March of 2006.
