Dear Editor,
After 10 years in business, enjoying the support of our loyal customers, we at BookSmart need to ask the wider community to help keep us financially viable.
While it is true that the big box retailers in Gilroy have had a serious impact on our business, causing us to close Thinker Toys, The Love Bug and to realize a substantial decrease in book sales, we feel we have a sound business plan for the future. We believe that by combining the book and toy stores under one roof, with two to three times the floor space, that we can increase sales while reducing overhead.
After looking in vain for almost three years, we now have leased a new space downtown that will let us achieve our goal of a larger and more comprehensive book and toy selection – and which, we think, will help our financial stability. However, because of all that Gilroy shopping, we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
Our potential new landlord, a well-respected local developer, is making the transition as easy as he reasonably can, but we must still do a great deal ourselves.
Therefore, we have decided to create a goal – to raise money to make our new space the kind of book and toy store that Morgan Hill deserves. We want to make it bigger, better, offer more educational services and provide community meeting space.
To achieve this goal we have a two-part plan. The first thing is to procure the money needed to ensure that we can acquire the space ($100,000). The second part is to raise the money needed to re-fixture and refurbish the space ($150,000). We intend to liquidate all merchandise and look for angels – not the kind with wings but ones with fresh ideas, checkbooks and other offers of help.
Many of you will remember how a community came together to rescue Kepler’s Bookstore in Menlo Park when it closed its doors last year – its 50th – without warning. Loyal readers provided the financial backing that allowed the store to reopen – saving a major cultural resource.
Cinda and I like to think of BookSmart as a Morgan Hill cultural resource, and many of you agree. We love being downtown and have done our best to help make it a delightful and welcoming place for our community, with the Friday Night Music Series, the Safe Halloween and by supporting countless projects, events and local fund-raising efforts.
If you care about helping BookSmart and bringing back the toy store, here is what you can do. Of course, financial assistance is especially needed. We also will need donated services by electricians, cabinetmakers and other skilled services. If you have other ideas, please let us know. Cinda and I are available at 778-6467 or br**@*********rt.com if you would like to find out more or offer some help. Thank you for 10 wonderful years at our current location.
Brad Jones & Cinda Meister
BookSmart, Morgan Hill
