Books-A-Million to keep Hixson store open
The Books-A-Million store in Hixson, which was targeted for closure earlier this summer, will see a new chapter as it remains open at its longtime Highway 153 location.
Melanie Smith, the company’s vice president of marketing, said Thursday that the Birmingham-based business and the building’s landlord worked out a new lease.
“Things worked out in a positive way,” Smith said. “We’re excited to stay.”
Brian White, a manager at the 5230 Highway 153 store, said the staff received word last week that the company reversed course and will keep the site open.
White said that personnel already have removed the “store closing” signs which had been put up in July.
“It was pretty exciting,” he said about taking down the signs.
In July, Smith said the store was expected to end a 25-year run in Hixson sometime before next Jan. 31 as its lease was coming to a close.
A post on the store’s Facebook page in July said there was a hope of finding a new location, and Smith said then the company’s real estate group was always looking, though she didn’t make any promises. The next closest Books-AMillion store is in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Smith said that sales at the Hixson store are “okay” and that it’s “continuing to perform.”
Now, White said, the Books-AMillion is focused on restocking books and other product after it had offered store closing sales.
“We’re trying to get everything situated,” he said. “We aim to be right back to normal.”
Other than the typical coronavirus safety measures, “we’ll be running as a regular Books-A-Million,” White said.
For decades, the small strip center was anchored by Books-A-Million and Toys ‘R’ Us.
But the Toys ‘R’ Us store closed in 2015 after 20 years at the site. It was replaced by discount clothing retailer Bargain Hunt in 2016.
Over the past decade and a half, bookstores have increasingly come under pressure from internet sales and some major chains have closed down. With the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, many independent bookstores had to temporarily shutter their doors.
But Smith said Books-A-Million was termed an essential business because it sells educational materials and other goods. While some of its stores did close in hard-hit areas of the country, most stayed open even if they offered just pick-up items outside the store or limited the number of customers within each store at any time.
The Hixson store was one of those that had remained open. The BooksA-Million employs about 13 people, according to the store.