Amazon ups its sales tax collection to 36 states and the District of Columbia; new owners for store in Rhode Island and Wisconsin; a long-time Maine bookstore to close; and more.
New Owner for the Village Booksmith: Following the passing of owner Annie Randall last Summer, Rob Nelson has taken over as proprietor of the Baraboo, Wisc., bookstore. Nelson, who worked at the bookstore for eight years, plans to continue Randall’s commitment to the community and to carry a wide range of books and quirky cards.
Amazon Begins Collecting Sales Tax in Three More States: Beginning January 1, the online retailer began collecting sales tax for purchases made by Iowa, Louisiana, and Nebraska residents. It had previously been collecting and remitting sales tax in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
World Eye Bookshop to Move in with Magical Child Toy Store: Next month, Jessica Mullins plans to combine her Greenfield, Mass., bookstore with the toy store that she purchased last February. She decided to make the move after World Eye’s rent went up significantly. “We’re going to try to keep the feel of World Eye as the dominant feeling, and then have a lot of the toys integrated,” she told The Recorder.
Two Block Island Residents Buy Island Bound Bookstore: Sisters Susan Bush and Laura Parsons purchased the 21-year-old bookstore off the coast of Rhode Island on December 1. “Both of us love books and this just seemed like a natural way to indulge our passion,” Bush told Bookselling This Week.
Powell’s Creates a “Care” Package for Obama and Trump: Based on hundreds of suggestions from customers, Powell’s City of Books in Portland packaged up ten books each for the outgoing and incoming president. The selections range from Jimmy Carter’s memoir A Full Life for President Obama to Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy for President-Elect Trump.
BookMarc to Close at End of the Month: After 28 years Marc Berlin, age 65, is ready to retire. He got a few offers to sell the store, but nothing panned out. So he plans to close it on January 31. But he isn’t giving up bookselling entirely. He has already rented a booth at Antique Marketplace in the spring.
Closing Time for Petaluma Paperbacks? At the end of December, Michael Bearden closed the used bookstore in Petaluma, Calif., that he bought more than a decade ago in 2003. But he’s hoping that the store will continue. He wants to pass on the store to someone willing to get a commercial lease. Bearden would be happy to consult with the new owner.
