The Village Bookshop - Bayfield
When the former owner of the Village Bookshop in Bayfield was starting to think about retiring, many were worried that the much-loved store would not survive. Enter several friends who decided to form a partnership, buy the business, and run it themselves.
Each partner brought their own strengths to the table and have found the first year of business both challenging and exciting.
With the COVID-19 lockdown coming shortly after the group opened, they quickly pivoted to focus on online and over-the-phone sales and offered, for a time, a free delivery service for Huron County.
Once the store was able to open for in-person shopping, the new owners were pleased with the response from both local regulars and tourists.
The shop itself is in a quaint old house at 24 Main Street in Bayfield, which adds to the charm of browsing through several rooms of books. With the focus on Canadiana and local authors, it also offers a great kids section, and now some art supplies as well. If you don’t see what you are looking for, just ask one of the helpful staff (likely one of the new owners) and they are happy to make a special order.
Orders placed Monday are generally delivered by the next week. Online sales and events have been important to keep things going through this strange year and the store has an excellent website at www.villagebookshop.ca where you can browse with a very easy-to-use search engine.
More virtual author events are expected to happen over the colder months and this is a great way to catch up with an old favourite or check out someone new. More information about upcoming events can be found on the website or social media.
January will see the physical shop closed for renovations, but the website will be available and staff will be able to answer your calls. Usual hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday, but it’s always best to check in to make sure during the snowy months. Weekends are the best time to find the store open.
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