A beloved Valley independent bookstore is getting a new location — and staying in its hometown.
Last year the owners of Shelton’s Written Words Bookstore were in a desperate search for a new space because their lease at the White Hills Shopping Center was running out.
They’ve found one at the River Road shopping plaza that houses The Giggling Pig art studio.
The new address will be 482 River Road. A post on the store’s Facebook page announcing the move Monday was shared 24 times and “Liked” by 51 people.
The news was first reported by the Shelton Herald.
A moving sale is under way to lighten the load of inventory that has to be moved, and the new store should be open Feb. 1, according to owner Dorothy Sim-Broder.
She said that given their requirements — wanting to stay in Shelton, and have a smaller space than their current location — made the new location ideal.
“There’s no such thing as a perfect location,” Sim-Broder said Friday. “But with all the criteria we had, this is the best place, and we’re very excited about it.”
In the wake of the store’s imperiled status being publicized last fall, customers and friends donated thousands of dollars to help defray the costs of moving.
And the offers of help haven’t stopped, she said. “People have been turning up in droves to offer to volunteer to help move.”
It was a gratifying experience.
“We’ve been very, very honored and proud to be seen by a lot of our supporters and friends and customers as their gem. and they don’t want to lose it,” Sim-Broder said. “I had customers who say ‘I don’t care where you go in Shelton, but we’ll follow.’ It’s not about me. It’s the store and what it brings to the community. People value it.”
The move should take place next weekend — for those that want to help, there’s a signup sheet in the store.
The new location will need a wall taken down and a new coat of paint, she said, but she plans to be open Feb. 1.
A grand opening celebration would follow at some point in the spring when the weather warms up.
Though the new store will be smaller, it will still cater to a general audience.
“We’re still going to be a general bookstore, but now that we have a better handle on the demand of the area, we’re able to be a little more selective when it comes to inventory,” Sim-Broder said.
The Giggling Pig’s owner, Hannah Perry, said Friday that she’s looking forward to her new neighbor.
“She’s going to be two doors down from my shop, so it’ll be great,” Perry said. “I’ve been to the store, it’s very nice. We’re really pleased. They’ll have a nice little shop next door.”
And given the fact that both businesses are popular with children, the two may join forces for special events, she said.
“We haven’t (planned anything) yet but we have been talking,” Perry said. “I’m going to be speaking to her shortly about that.”
