Olsson’s Dupont Store Closed
Bad news for D.C. bookstores today: DCist reports that Olsson's Dupont Circle store has closed. This follows the bookseller filing for bankruptcy in July; earlier this month Shelf Awareness reported that the local chain's head book buyer and general manager, Alexis Akre, left the company.
Nobody's picking up the phone at any of the chain's stores. More as we hear it, but this is clearly a bad turn of events for both readers and authors. Olsson's, especially the Dupont Circle store, provided a haven for readings by writers who weren't big-deal enough to nab a slot at Politics & Prose; the events page on the chain's Web site, still live, gives you a sense of that. Dupont Circle still has some top-shelf used shops, including Second Story Books and Books for America. But the fact that the sole places selling new books in Dupont is now Kramerbooks, a place that's all about brunch and bestsellers, or Books-a-Million, which just deals in bestsellers, is more than a little disheartening.
Update: A press release on Olsson's homepage announces that the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy:
Stephen Wallace-Haines, Olsson's general manager stated: "In the end, all the roads towards reorganization led to this dead end: we did not have the money required to pay for product in advance, to collect reserves to buy for Christmas, and satisfy the demands of rent and operational costs. We were losing money just by staying open."
3:37 pm
That stinks. I've noticed a lot of closed signs and boarded up window fronts recently- yesterday in Georgetown and this weekend in Adams Morgan. Big box and chains are moving in too fast for me. The economy blows and its ruining DCs unique personality
4:02 pm
I called this store "The Crack Store" because every time I went in there there were solid music recommendations -- what will come of Werner? -- and great books and I could not stop myself from finding something new to take home. I am not sure what I will do, but will miss that store.
4:36 pm
On the train this morning I started reading Michael Kimball's "Dear Everybody" in advance of his scheduled reading at the store on Oct. 15. That was the kind of author and book the store had a knack for supporting---it's not that every author reading was a small-press author (heck, David Carr was there a couple weeks back), but they brought in people who'd worked with indie presses and could use that added bit of support. A couple months back George Pelecanos made a point of boosting indie stores before introducing a reading by Willy Vlautin and Ross Raisin at the Dupont Olsson's, and it was great to see a well-known writer promote a couple of youngins there. Borders and B&N have readings, but that felt much more homegrown.
3:59 pm
This sucks big time! I remember attending a Walter Mosley book signing and discussion event at the Dupont Circle store in 1999. Heck, I bought a book their and gave it to an exotic dancer for her birthday gift. The last time I bought something was at the Crystal City Location. Sad to see it go. Another victim of a struggling economy and the overpowering force of corporate america.