Iconic Strand Book Store Sends Out A Call For Help

MANHATTAN, NY — The Strand Book Store is the last of the original 48 book shops still standing on the famous 4th Avenue Book Row in Lower Manhattan, but the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have caused the situation to become dire for the beloved book shop.

On Friday, Nancy Bass Wyden, the third-generation owner of the family business, tweeted out a letter to customers asking for any help that might be given.

"As the 3rd generation owner, I have tried to imagine what my dad and grandfather would do right now after they spent their entire lives — 6 days a week — working at the store," Wyden wrote. "I don't believe they would want me to give up without a fight and that's why I'm writing you today."

The Strand has its landmark location in the East Village and a newly opened location on the Upper West Side.

Wyden laid out six ways people could help the beloved book store:

• Visit the website and shop the gift guide.
• Visit the stores at 828 Broadway and 12th Street and 450 Columbus Avenue and 82nd Street.
• Give gifts from The Strand.
• Encourage your friends to shop at The Strand Books.
• Spread the word and hashtag #savethestrand
• Shop early and shop local.

We need your help. This is the post we hoped to never write, but today marks a huge turning point in The Strand's history. Our revenue has dropped nearly 70% compared to last year, and the loans and cash reserves that have kept us afloat these past months are depleted. pic.twitter.com/mI074pigZu
— Strand Book Store (@strandbookstore) October 23, 2020

The Strand's revenue has dropped by 70 percent in the last year, according to the tweet. And the loan it received in the beginning of the pandemic to offset losses has run out.

Earlier in the pandemic, The Strand partnered with book delivery company Ingram to start shipping books for the first time in its history. The online option came a month after The Strand temporarily laid off the majority of its staff.

The Strand first opened its East Village location 93 years ago.

Read More: Strand Bookstore Finds A Way To Sell Online Amid Coronavirus