‘Truly saddened': Popular Dymocks to close after 18 years
The final chapter is approaching for Dymocks Joondalup, which has announced it will close its doors on June 30 after 18 years of operation.
Owners Joanna and Jim Brown, who are moving into semi-retirement, made the announcement on Facebook last week, thanking customers for being part of the bookstore's story.
'We are truly saddened by this closure and want to thank all our loyal book lovers and customers for your incredible support over the past 18 years,' they said.
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'It has been a privilege to be part of the Joondalup community.'
Hundreds of local customers flooded the comments section with messages of gratitude and well-wishes.
'Ohhh nooo, I've loved bringing in my granddaughters to buy their favourite books. Good luck everyone, thank you for your service, you shall be missed,' one comment said. Owners, Joanna and Jim Brown opened the store 18 years ago. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian
'Very sad news — Dymocks Joondalup is such a stalwart supporter of local authors and readers, this wonderful place and its expert staff will be greatly missed,' another said.
'Thank you for the many years and lots of wonderful memories,' a third comment read.
Despite the Joondalup store's closure, its existing partnerships with the City of Joondalup and Wanneroo libraries, as well as local schools where events such as author meet-and-greets are held, are set to continue.
Speaking to PerthNow local newspapers, Ms Brown said they had hoped Dymocks or another owner would take over the Joondalup store, but it proved too difficult to facilitate and ultimately led to the decision to close.
'We love our books and our customers, so this has been a very hard decision for us,' she said.
'Since we made the announcement, we have had lots of people come in over the weekend to show their support. We have been really touched by the community's reaction.' Dymocks Joondalup partnership with the City of Joondalup and Wanneroo's library will continue through their Karrinyup store. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian
Ms Brown said part of the decision to close was due to sales stagnating as more people shifted to shopping online, and she urged the community to continue supporting local bookstores.
'It's really hard when people are buying online or from department stores like Big W; we just can't compete with them,' she said.
'Please support physical stores. If they're part of your community, make sure you back them.'
Mr and Mrs Brown said they looked forward to welcoming familiar faces at their Karrinyup store.
They will also be offering customers free delivery throughout the Joondalup and Karrinyup areas for Click & Collect or phone orders placed with the Karrinyup shop.
They have seen thousands of iconic books fill the shelves of their bookstore over the past 18 years, but one truly stands out above them all.
'The seventh and final Harry Potter book quickly became a classic. All of our copies sold out before the release date due to pre-orders,' Mrs Brown said.
'On the day the last book came out, we ran out of stock, and the queues outside the store started as early as five o'clock in the morning. It was just amazing.'
When it comes to non-fiction, an autobiography by an Aussie legend was among the store's best sellers.
'Non-fiction biographies, like Jimmy Barnes', were also big hits,' she said.
'One of our most memorable highlights was hosting incredible authors like Jimmy, where we had nearly 1000 people attend our event with him.
'Some of our other most popular authors include crime writers like Michael Connelly and Stephen King, known for his horror novels.'
As part of a closing-down sale, Dymocks Joondalup is offering 25 per cent off all stock in-store until June 22.
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