Books-A-Million hopes its new location at the Bangor Parkade shopping center on Stillwater Avenue will bring back loyal customers while also drawing new ones.
The store recently moved from its longtime two-story location at 116 Bangor Mall Blvd. to 490 Stillwater Ave., which has one floor but is slightly larger in square footage, General Manager Ann Redman said.
The new 27,900-square-foot location opened in late May and will hold its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 22. Author signings are planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 23.
Books-A-Million opened at a standalone building on Bangor Mall Boulevard in November 2011, after Borders closed that September, Redman said. She began as a Borders supervisor in 2005 and stayed on with Books-A-Million, whose main reason for moving was to attract more foot traffic, which is heavy at the Bangor Parkade shopping center, she said.
The chain bookstore’s opening at the new Bangor location comes shortly after the South Portland store unveiled its renovations in mid-May.
“Our old location was a destination,” she said. “We did well there, but people had to choose to go there with the mall not being what it used to be. This [Stillwater Avenue] location is a place where customers are already going and will reach the people we aren’t already reaching.”
The new location does not have a cafe, but otherwise, it offers the same number of employees, hours and services as the old one. That includes in-store pickup and same-day delivery, which Books-A-Million offers through a third party, as long as products are in stock and customers order by a certain time, Redman said.
It also welcomes people who wish to use the store as a study or meeting space. Redman noted Spanish language, knitting, and Dungeons & Dragons groups used to meet at the previous location, and some have transitioned to the new one, which has tables and seating.
A phone call and email to a spokesperson for NNN Reit, Inc., a Florida-based company that has owned the store’s former location at 116 Bangor Mall Blvd. since 1996, were not returned Friday. It’s unclear what will happen with the building.
At the Stillwater Avenue location, Redman is eager to grow the number of author signings and other events, particularly because she has noticed a “resurgence in book selling,” which she suspects is partly a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When she worked at Bangor’s mall many years ago, she witnessed a shift that pulled customers from in-person to online shopping. But people value interactions with employees who love to read and are knowledgeable about books, which you can’t get online, she said.
“We are focusing on making connections with authors in Maine and regionally,” she said. “We have a strong following for our local-interest books. It’s great that we’ll be able to develop that section and introduce people to authors they may not know.”
While many of the offerings remain at the new store, customers may notice a fresh look. The new building features “focal walls,” where different lines of products that pair well together are displayed, Redman said, adding it’s an intentional way to present stationary, gifts and products besides books.
Books-A-Million’s grand opening Saturday will feature free ice cream, a ribbon cutting with the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, a meet-and-greet with children’s book character Dog Man and more. Sunday is dedicated to signings with authors Alexandra Hinrichs, Julie T. Kingsley, Buddy Doyle and Sharon Kitchens.
People should visit the new store for the interactions and recommendations they’ll get from staff, Redman said.
“If you’re a book person, there’s really nothing like walking into a bookstore, especially one that’s new,” she said.
