50 years at Mosaic Books
Over the last four years, sales have surged 60 per cent at Mosaic Books in downtown Kelowna. It’s quite the way for the business to celebrate its upcoming 50th anniversary.
“Independent bookstores are having a comeback,” said Michael Neill, who owns and operates Mosaic with his wife, Michele, and their children, Trevor, 31, and Alicia, 29.
“The big-box stores and ebooks that threatened the industry aren’t the threats they once were and people are still reading physical books from fiction, non-fiction, history and biographies to cookbooks, kids’ books and bargain books.”
Mosaic has enjoyed this resurgence and growth while sticking to its roots as a bookstore.
Big-box store Indigo still sells books, but also retails everything from candles and blankets to baby clothes and scarves.
Mosaic was started by Rhonda Moss and Wilma Dohler on Nov. 23, 1968 at 1449 St. Paul St.
The store moved across the street and a little north in 1976 to 1420 St. Paul, where it remained until Neill bought it and moved it three blocks to its present-day location at 411 Bernard Ave.
Neill also owns and operates Book Manager, the software 360 independent bookstores across North America use.
In fact, Moss and Mosaic were one of Neill’s first Book Manager clients in 1989, which led to Neill purchaing the store in 1995.
Mosaic’s golden anniversary falls on Black Friday, so it’s getting into the spirit with a three-day sale where everything in the store is 20 per cent off.
The first 50 people in the store Friday will also get a $10 gift card.
The store will also get an overhaul next year with new fixtures and fittings and new flooring.