Another Indie Bookstore Bites the Dust After 32 Years of Business!!

I recently came across an article published on the SF Gate's website titled, ‘A gut punch’: Two decades-old San Francisco bookshops to close by Ariana Bindman. In the article, Ariana Bindman wrote the following:

Bonnie Stuppin, one of the owners of Alexander Book Company, said the SoMa bookstore will likely shutter toward the end of April after 32 years of service. The reason, she says, is because downtown San Francisco offices aren’t nearly as packed as they used to be. “We’re not seeing enough customers to justify opening the doors and turning the lights and paying the staff to come down,” she told SFGATE.

“Our, I guess, customer base was really mostly the downtown office workers and they are gone,” she continued. Previously, SFGATE reported that there are about 150,000 fewer workers in the area, and vacant office space has hit a record high. 

Loyal customers who used to work nearby are now scattered all across the United States, Stuppin said, and though they place orders through Alexander’s online shop, it’s still not enough to keep the independent bookstore open.

I'm saddened to learn this news!! My husband and I visited the Alexander Book Company in downtown San Francisco twice before the Covid-19 Pandemic hit. The Alexander Book Company is a lovely three story bookstore with a fabulous layout, phenomenal selection of books, and pleasant staff members. I even blogged about my visit to the Alexander Book Company back in 20215. See post here. I most certainly wish they were able to remain in business for at least another 32 years!