Opening a Book Store in the Atlanta area... (East Point, Dunwoody: buy, college)

[Ixis79]

Hello,

I am interested in opening a book store in the Atlanta area but I am having trouble deciding on the perfect location. I am hoping someone can provide some suggestions to help me with my decision. Thank you in advance.

[White Wolf]

Gainesville! I would be a customer for sure. We have no decent bookstores here other than Books a Million and the thrift stores.

[flyonpa]

I would suggest in the strip mall next to the Amazon distribution center down near the airport.

[afdinatl]

You need to be in a walkable area with people with money that are smart.


West Midtown
Midtown
ATLANTIC Station

Any mixed used development

[iwas99x]

Originally Posted by Ixis79

Hello,

I am interested in opening a book store in the Atlanta area but I am having trouble deciding on the perfect location. I am hoping someone can provide some suggestions to help me with my decision. Thank you in advance.

How many sq feet? New or used books or both?
You should Look where there isn't any Barnes& Nobles or Books-A-Million. Find a place where you are willing to put up with the traffic and taxes.

How about places like Fayetteville, Duluth, Conyers, Tucker, North Druid Hills, College Park or East Point, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Doraville, Brookhaven, Woodstock?

[iwas99x]

You should look in cities that don't have Barnes& Nobles and Books-A-Million.

Look into places with a decent commute for you and a decent taxes.

Look into: Fayetteville, Conyers, Dunwoody or Chamblee, Duluth, North Druid Hills, Mableton, Woodstock or Canton, Forrest Park or Jonesboro, East Point or College Park, Doraville or Brookhaven.

[Iconographer]

Amazon and Kindle have pretty much decimated the retail book business. It is the primary reason you don't see many viable independents out there anymore. Borders is gone; Barnes & Noble is hanging on by a thread. The big challenge is that you're working with a fixed margin business, and the average bookseller simply cannot compete with a company that can offer a 40% discount on bestsellers.
I do have a friend that has made a go of it in this business. Her secret (as I discern it):
She's in a resort community where people have money and time on their hands (read: browsers)
She hosts a lot of events.
She provides a relaxing space for customers to peruse the merchandise.
She has a great staff that have an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and the arts. Customers come in just to engage them.
A healthy inventory of 'regional' titles, which piques the interest of vacationers.

It's a challenge, but not impossible. I wish you luck.

[GaPlanner]

You need a multi-pronged business model that offers books as a side piece. Such as a coffee shop with a bookstore area. I think part of what killed the Outwrite Bookstore in Midtown (other than the exorbitant rent) was the business model. The managers focused too hard on the book aspect and ignored the coffee/gathering place aspect. There are wildly successful coffee shops all over midtown, but somehow the coffee shop in Outwrite could not sustain the business. They also discouraged people from hanging out. Failure to adapt is the issue for bookstores. People will still buy books from a brick and mortar (I do), but those people are the types who like to hang out, meet other book readers, and have a sense of community in the bookstore. I really think that a successful independent bookstore must be an accessory use to something that draws people in and keeps them there for extended periods of time.