Micawber Books and two neighboring stores to close
By: Courtney Gross
After spending 25 years as a staple on Nassau Street a period that included the rise of national and online booksellers Micawber Books announced Monday it will close its doors in March to pave the way for Princeton University’s new textbook supplier and independent scholarly bookstore, Labyrinth Books.
In a news conference at Maclean House on the Princeton campus, university officials, along with representatives of Micawber, Labyrinth and the Princeton University Store, gathered to outline numerous changes that will occur on Nassau Street next year.
The restructuring of a strip of Nassau Street from Foot Locker to Micawber includes the addition of a satellite U-Store stocked primarily with apparel and insignia goods as well as the 7,000-square-foot bookstore.
Labyrinth Books, which already has stores adjacent to two Ivy League campuses, will take the place of Footlocker and a small section of The Children’s Place next door. The U-Store satellite, slated for approximately 6,500 square feet, will move into the remaining space of the children’s clothing store as well as the ground floor of Micawber Books, representatives said Monday.
The space currently occupied by Micawber’s used books section will be leased to an undetermined tenant in the near future, representatives said.
Citing the university’s dependence on Micawber, Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman said when university officials were notified Micawber’s owners were investigating the sale of their business, it was imperative for Princeton’s academic community to identify "a worthy successor."
Nearly a year ago, university officials said, they began the pursuit of an adequate replacement.
"It is virtually impossible to be a world-class research university if you do not have a world-class scholarly bookstore," President Tilghman said Monday.
"This is a community that needs and deserves an absolutely first-rate bookstore, and I can’t imagine a better successor to Micawber than Labyrinth," she added in a prepared statement.
As part of the plans, the university will purchase the building at 112 and 114 Nassau St. the current home of Micawber and will also assume the lease at 110 Nassau St.
Although the plans were met with enthusiasm, some participants Monday found the occasion more bittersweet.
Although Micawber’s owners became interested in selling the business two years ago, Logan Fox, Micawber’s founder and co-owner, said he would certainly miss running the store. He added that the sale was always dependent upon finding a suitable replacement for the bookstore an independent retailer that fit the needs of the broader Princeton community.
As part of the transition to Nassau Street and the arrival of Labyrinth Books, the current U-Store building, at 36 University Place, will be consolidated to two floors, with the third floor and mezzanines handed back to the university for an undetermined use.
Both Labyrinth and the new U-Store satellite location are expected to open on Nassau Street within a year, representatives said Monday.
Many acknowledged the ever-changing environment for booksellers, which contributed to the decisions reached this week. Mr. Fox said the popularity of national chains, including Borders and Barnes & Noble, as well as the convenience of the Internet, have changed the face of the book-selling business.
Representatives of the U-Store agreed.
As part of agreement, the U-Store will be forfeiting its book business to Labyrinth, also a significant portion of its gross sales, said Dorothy Bedford, chairwoman of the U-Store’s board of trustees. The changes in the industry with students often visiting Web sites to purchase used books for a cheaper price brought unique challenges to the U-store, which claims to be Princeton’s oldest retailer.
In an attempt to give reassurance to students, alumni and employees, Ms. Bedford said the U-Store is currently looking into other business opportunities to service the student population. The independently operated facility already offers a convenience store, pharmacy, school supply sales and dorm furnishings.
The store will provide textbooks for the university through the 2007 fall semester, representatives said.
Even though it is opening a second location, as part of the U-Store’s transition it might need to lose between six to 10 employees, representatives said.
Clifford Simms, president of Labyrinth Books, a division of Great Jones Books Inc., said the Princeton location will be a common intersection of town and gown. Labyrinth stores currently serve Columbia University and Yale University.
Planning to meet with faculty and students, Mr. Simms said he would attempt to address the university’s needs as the company takes over the role as Princeton’s new full-service bookstore.
"We believe we can create a store that is a real civic space in which knowledge in all fields can be celebrated and discussed," Mr. Simms said in a prepared statement. "We also take very seriously our obligation to serve the needs of students and faculty in providing course books in reliable, efficient and cost-effective ways through the availability of used, as well as new books," he added.

