Local bookstore owners worried over possible loss of business

The University's contract to build a new Barnes and Noble superstore at 36th and Walnut streets has owners of other local bookstores concerned about their futures. Executive Vice President John Fry explained that professors would not be required to order their textbooks through the new Barnes and Noble store, even though it will be the official campus bookstore. But Barnes and Noble will try to carry and sell all textbooks required for University courses, according to Janine von Juergensonn, vice president of Barnes and Noble College Bookstores. The company also hopes to double the current bookstore's $2.5 million in non-required book sales, she said. Owners of the Pennsylvania Book Center and House of Our Own Books, which both sell textbooks, said they are wary about the impact the new store will have on their businesses. Peter Nickles, owner of the Pennsylvania Book Center, said yesterday that his store depends on University sales. In addition to selling textbooks, his lease is owned by Penn. "We used to draw people from downtown, but then they opened the superstores there," he said. Nickles said the University has tried to discourage him from keeping his store at its 38th and Walnut streets location by continually raising his rent and limiting his leases to two or three years at a time since he moved the store there in 1971. He said he asked Associate Treasurer Chris Mason for a lease of at least five years so he could enlarge his store and invest more capital into the building. But the University declined to give him a longer lease, he said. Nickles said he might close his store if the community likes the Barnes and Noble superstore idea. "Why should I stand in the way if they want it?" he asked. But he also said he will only do so if the University treats him with respect. "If I have to pack up and leave, what am I going to do with these books?" Nickles asked. Deborah Sanford, owner of House of Our Own Books, sighed audibly after reading about the new bookstore. She said she hopes the large superstore will not drive smaller local stores out of business. "This isn't quite the way we were planning on celebrating our 25th anniversary in business," she said. Sanford, who opened the store in 1971, said selling textbooks for the University has given her store more stability. She added that even after the superstore opens, there will still be a need in the University community for a small, intimate store like hers that sell academic books. "We've got a large number of loyal customers who support us and we hope they'll continue to do that," she said. The Barnes and Noble superstore will also include a "comprehensive" music section. But Vibes Manager Phil Hilf said the Barnes and Noble store will not be able to compete with his store's small, independent feel. "People can come here and get waited on and get the customer service they can't get at a superstore," Hilf said. "That's to our advantage."