After 52 years, Womrath's Bookstore in Hackensack, N.J., has closed. President Robert Kutik refers to the closing and sale of the two-story building to Some's Uniforms as "the final chapter" of a once thriving book business begun by his father, Harry, in 1949. "He loved to read," Kutik told PW, "but he knew nothing about the book business when he started the store. He thought you would go to the publishers' offices and pick up the books."
Womrath's quickly outgrew its original space and in the '50s expanded to its current size of 15,000 square feet. But in the years since Harry's death in 1998, competition from chain superstores and online retailers has taken its toll. At the same time, Hackensack's Main Street, where the store is located, has lost several businesses, including a 75-year-old men's clothing store nearby.
Kutik attributed Womrath's closing to "a combination of issues. We wanted to rent out the upper floor, and Some said, 'I love your building; I want to buy it.' Between that and the competition, the decision was made by the whole family." He still holds out hope for an epilogue for Womrath's. "I've been very gratified," Kutik said, "that the chambers of commerce of a couple local towns in Bergen County have called to say, 'Our town would love an independent bookstore.' " His daughter, Sarah, who is in charge of Womrath's cards and gift department and runs store birthday parties, plans to open a children's bookstore in the area. Kutik will partner with her if they can purchase a suitable location. "She's willing to rent," he said, "but I'm not."
One thing that has softened the decision to sell the store has been community support. "People who had moved away came back to say good-bye," said Kutik, who made November 11 Womrath's last day. He deliberately chose Veterans' Day, as a way to honor his father, a World War II vet who initially opened the store with aid from the Eastern Veterans Association.
