The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
April 26, 2004 Monday Home Edition
SECTION: Gwinnett; Pg. 1JJ
LENGTH: 860 words
HEADLINE: Bookstore's next chapter;
Regulars say the former Waldenbooks in Norcross has retained its small-store feel
since being purchased by Chapter 11.
BYLINE: ROSALIND BENTLEY
SOURCE: AJC
BODY:
It has been nearly two months since the Atlanta-based chain of Chapter 11
Bookstores bought the old Waldenbooks on Holcomb Bridge Road in Norcross.
The purchase seemed an answer to the prayers and pleas of dozens of longtime
patrons who had tried to persuade Waldenbooks' parent company, Borders Group,
not to shutter the store. Sure, the Norcross Waldenbooks was part of a chain, but
after 15 years in the same location, it felt like a mom-and-pop business and
neighbors thought it was worth fighting for. The tale of the rallying patrons and the
store's purchase even merited a story in a recent issue of Publishers Weekly.
But the episode raises a more peculiar question about the increasingly chain-laden,
suburban retail landscape: At what point does a chain store become as beloved in
the eyes of its customers as a true, independent neighborhood business?
"Mayberry looks very different today than it did 30 years ago," said Tim Mescon,
dean of the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. "Today, the
general public in suburban America identifies with those national chains. They're the
retail that we know. Those local names, they don't mean anything anymore, or they
mean much less."
As promised, Chapter 11 owner Perry Tanner retained the former Waldenbooks staff,
including assistant manager George Scott, a fixture on the local books scene. The
store has been allowed to keep much of its neighborhood flavor and format,
including the near-weekly author appearances for which the location has become
known. Customers seem pleased.
John Manning is a regular. On one of his visits recently, he was searching for a
suspense thriller. Scott offered up "Th