[ PW Home ] [ Bestsellers ] [ Subscribe ] [ Search ]

Publishers Weekly News

New Ventures Rise From Hatch's Ashes
Roxane Farmanfarmaian -- 2/28/00

When the 36-year-old Hatch's Bookstores were sold to lawyer David Marlett last April (News, Apr. 12, 1999), it seemed the chain might enjoy a rebirth. Marlett renamed his acquisition Highlands Bookshops, only to realize, six months later, that he had to sell out. Although all but one of the seven stores Marlett bought were profitable, Marlett told PW "the debts Hatch's had incurred were insurmountable. I was under a different impression going in than coming out." Today, three of the stores in the regional chain are back in business under new ownership.

In Ontario, Ore., a 90-minute drive from the nearest chain store, Andrea Frazier took over the lease and kept the name of Hatch's Bookstore in West Park Plaza Mall. She also retained manager Don Snow, who had worked in the Hatch's system for more than a year. "All previous ordering was done out of Denver, so we had a lot of dead inventory," Snow said. "Under Marlett, we had zero budget, and our inventory just went down and down." The new ownership has provided funding to restock the shelves and for extensive remodeling, Snow noted.

In Glenwood Springs, Colo., David Wood, who was a district manager at Hatch's for 15 years, opened a new store on the same premises as the old one, naming it Red Mountain Books. "We had nothing to do with Highlands," he said. "We built a new lease with the mall and bought all new inventory."

The third store, in Sterling, Colo., was bought by Rocky and Marilyn Samber. Renamed Books on Main, the store opened with a new lease and new inventory. "It looked like it could support an owner-operator," said Rocky, who is also the principal at St. Anthony's High School; Marilyn is an English teacher.

All three bookstores cater closely to the tastes of their communities, rely heavily on special orders and worry little about competition. According to Wood, "Customers have been thrilled. From a business standpoint, it's better than we expected. People are happy to have a neighborhood bookstore."

Back To News
--->
Search | Bestsellers | News | Features | Children's Books | Bookselling
Interview | Industry Update | International | Classifieds | Authors On the Highway
About PW | Subscribe
Copyright 2000. Publishers Weekly. All rights reserved.