Terry Whittaker, who with his wife, Susan, owns Viewpoint Books in Columbus, Indiana, announced that the 41-year-old bookstore has been placed on the market so that the couple can retire. The Whittakers have owned Viewpoint since 1979.
Whittaker told PW that the store’s lease is up in the second half of 2016, and because the Whittakers know that it is “a long process, which includes the transition period” they decided to make the announcement now.
"We have to find a buyer by the time the lease is up or we’ll have to close the store," Terry Whitaker said. "There’s no alternative."
Sales, Whittaker reports, have been up "five or six percent for the past few years" at the general full-service store, which is housed in a 2,500-square-foot retail space inside a 19th-century building in the historic area of downtown Columbus. The area has been designated as an arts district by the state.
Whittaker is a two-time board president of the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association, and currently serves on its board. His term is up this fall.
