The Strand Bookstore has been a New York City staple for decades and has earned some pretty devoted fans in its long history. This bookstore has held on since 1927 thanks to dedicated book lovers. However, once COVID hit, the store was threatened with closure after it's devoted fans opted instead for Amazon deliveries. In an effort to stay afloat, the Strand reached out on social media asking the community to support local businesses. The community heard their plea.
Nancy Wyden, who is the third generation of Strand store owners, posted her hopes for help online. "I'm going to pull out all the stops," Nancy tweeted, "to keep sharing our mutual love of the printed word. But for the first time in the Strand’s 93-year history, we need to mobilize the community to buy from us so we can keep our doors open until there’s a vaccine."
In just one weekend following this tweet, the store did over $200,000 in sales.
Almost overnight, the store had over 25,000 orders. One person in Broooklyn even ordered 197 different books. Not only that, but the bookstore had a line around the block for the whole following week.
"I really don’t think that we’re just a bookstore," said Nancy in an interview with the Washington Post, "I think we’re a place of discovery and a community centre. When I ask for help and they respond this fast, it’s so heartwarming."