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

Publishers Weekly Bookselling

White Rabbit to Open Second Store
Kevin Howell -- 4/17/00

On May 6, White Rabbit Children's Books, in La Jolla, Calif., will open a second location 90 miles away in Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza. "Our focus has always been and remains selling good quality, important children's books," owner Susan Malk told PW. "We're very pleased to have the opportunity to now sell those books in two locations."

For several years, the shopping mall landlords had pursued Malk, trying to convince her to open a store in their mall. "Finally, they made us an offer that was too good to pass up," Malk explained. "It was an opportunity to move into a good location in one of the largest shopping centers in Southern California. The economy is very good here, and we're doing well, so we decided to open a second store." Like the 22-year-old first store, the new location will have 2,000 square feet of selling space and will stock more than 35,000 titles.

The new store will share some of the original store's unique décor--namely an electric train that runs through the store suspended from the ceiling, colorful mobiles hung over the counter and dioramas from children's books on display. Outside, the new store will attract attention with an elevated four-foot statue of a white rabbit.

"The biggest similarity between the two stores will be their determination to keep the same welcoming ambiance," said Steven Malk, now a literary agent at the West Coast offices of Writers House, who worked in his mother's store for six years. "There will be a whole new staff, but the manager previously worked at the original store and, at least for the first few months, my mother will be going back and forth between the stores."

Steven Malk, who primarily represents children's authors, is a third-generation children's bookseller. In 1952, his grandmother, Sylvia Klugman, opened one of the first children's bookstores in the world: the Children's Bookstore in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Back To Bookselling
--->
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.