The venerable Cody’s Bookstore on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley will be closing on June 10th, after 43 years in that location. They say they’ve lost a million dollars trying to keep it open. The 4th Street location (one of the few Berkeley neighborhoods that has seen a steady increase in business, rather than a decline) will remain open.
They cite the internet and “economic concentration in bookselling” as reasons for their declining sales. An article in the SF Chronicle also points to Telegraph Avenue itself as part of the problem, mentioning the homeless and a new generation of students who don’t identify with the lingering air of the 60’s. I suppose those things can be off-putting if you’re new in town but in the decade I’ve been here Telegraph hasn’t changed at all. Aside from gentrification, the other thing 4th Street has is fairly ample parking, which probably draws more of the non-student residents.
It is a sad indicator for independent businesses in the country. If the closest, largest bookstore to a large university campus can’t make it in Berkeley, of all places, it just doesn’t bode well. Makes me want to walk down to my neighborhood bookstore and buy some books. Or maybe I’ll go to the library. Books are expensive.
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