QUILLBLOG

Store seeks savvy, bookish feminist(s) with capital for preservation of beloved institution

In an open letter posted on its website, the financially troubled Toronto Women’s Bookstore has thanked supporters for their donations, and announced they have made enough money to keep the store operating.  Unfortunately, all the media attention their fundraising garnered has caused suppliers to either cancel their accounts or put them on prepaid terms. The letter explains that the store has been unable to reestablish credit with suppliers as a result and won’t be able to fulfill course orders for textbooks, which make up to 75% of the store’s annual revenue. From the letter:

We have let our textbook suppliers know that the line they are taking is essentially working to close us down when we were actually getting back on our feet, and the response has been that this is a position they are taking with a number of stores as a result of the recent closures and the current economic situation, and they are not able or willing to make exceptions for TWB at this time. With this obstacle in place, as well as the steady overall decrease in textbook sales over the past several years, it is clear that a new direction is necessary in order to make the bookstore sustainable in the future.

But they’re not simply giving up. In order to keep going, the staff and board members decided to dismantle the current non-profit structure and find an owner:

In short, we are looking for one or more fabulous TWB-loving individuals who would like to buy the bookstore for pennies and run it as owners! We are open to the possibility of a single owner or multiple owners and would also gladly connect any individuals who would be interested in going in as part of a group. If you think you, or someone you know, might just be who we are looking for then please contact us. We will be more than happy to give more detailed financial and organizational information to anyone who is seriously interested.

The deadline for sale is April 15th, 2010, or they’ll have to close the store by end of May.