Independent Bookstore Chain Half Price Books Builds A Bookstore In 77 Seconds (VIDEO)

While book stores all over the country continue to shut down at an alarming rate, one of our favorite independent book stores, Half Price Books, is opening their 113th store today in San Antonio, Texas. The family owned chain has been building book stores across the country since 1972 and they show no sign of stopping, as they already have plans to open two new stores by early next year. Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president of Half Price Books, was quoted in the press release as saying, “While the book industry has changed greatly in the past few years with negative impact to traditional bookstores, we have been able to continue our growth in our brick and mortar stores.”

She goes on to say that “because we buy from the public, our stores offer an attractive option for people needing extra cash, and we’re able to provide cheaper forms of entertainment during a tough economy.” The independent chain will be providing just that during their grand opening which, according to the press release, will feature “Share the Magic of Reading!," a Harry Potter themed story-time event for younger readers, as well as exciting give-aways all weekend long. In honor of the opening, Half Price Books made this fun "How to Build a Bookstore" video to show just how their most recent store came together.

WATCH:

Comments

[littlebrowngirl]

08:15 PM on 07/14/2011

Books on shelves. How magical.

[MichaelMcKLA]

08:11 PM on 07/14/2011

Eh. Not impressed. If they offer merchandise at half off then it would seem they could have done all the stocking work in 38.5 seconds.

;)

[Kelly Carter]

07:21 PM on 07/14/2011

Wow, and they are all hippies. Should got in on that deal when Half-Price was still tiny.
I like they reuse old buildings. They can take a dead strip center and make it work again.
On Mockingbird Lane in Dallas they have one in an old disco-bar. The building is built to look like a old sailing ship.

[Mr Allen]

07:20 PM on 07/14/2011

How long was that fat guy with the back brace going to just stand there?

[sillyfrog]

07:50 PM on 07/14/2011

Until it is time to do his job.

[Russell Brown]

06:56 PM on 07/14/2011

we have a half dozen of these in the Twin Cities - usually a pretty good selection though some are much bigger than others -

about once a year I like to hit all 6 or 7 of them looking for chess books - there are obviously some books at every facility they get from book distributors looking to dump unused titles - (like the B&N bargain bin) but you'll find books that other people sold as well individually in various areas so you never know what you'll find -

I could spend hours in bookstores and libraries but I've been cutting back, selling books for space and reading more from the library to save money - but I welcome the arrival of any new used book store :)

[waldopepper]

06:22 PM on 07/14/2011

I love books. I love the looks of them, the smell of them - their various textures, their portability their flexibility. If I could I would... hmm. I think you get the idea. But I don't like an advertisement which is thinly disguised as entertainment.

[Z2a]

06:13 PM on 07/14/2011

The only thing shocking / interesting about this video, is the fact that book stores are STILL being built!

I thought they went the way of the horse and buggy, typewriter, whale oil.

[James Phoenix]

07:26 PM on 07/14/2011

Nonsense, I ride my horse and buggy to the bookstore with my typewriter and whale oil every day.

[sillyfrog]

07:50 PM on 07/14/2011

:)

[Checkpoint Charlie]

06:04 PM on 07/14/2011

Or buy a Kindle and watch them tear down your local bookstore.

[Sarah Moon60]

07:21 PM on 07/14/2011

If not for my kindle I could not read anywhere but my computer text size counts. I hate to see the end of print books but at least we can still read

[ChelleAgain]

10:37 AM on 07/17/2011

Gee, for people without a local book store, perhaps if they wait patiently -- not reading -- one will be built. Is that how it works? People in rural areas should just opt not to read, because you think book readers are icky. It'll be awkward during the Couric interview, but okay.

Maybe for the people with arthritis and vision issues, this wonderful book store they'll be building will have a selection of all the books in large print, and someone to helpfully come along and turn pages.

[darquelourd]

05:31 PM on 07/14/2011

I take it the actual building was already there? So they simply furnished the inside of the store with the book shelves they themselves make and then they took books and put them on those shelves.

yes, building, not really

[wca16]

05:14 PM on 07/14/2011

I can do it faster.

[lendmeanear]

04:59 PM on 07/14/2011

If I can only get my staff to move that quick.

[liv4evr]

07:24 PM on 07/14/2011

Except for that one guy, about half-way through the video who is leaning against one of the bookshelves and watching. I swear, he doesn't move during that entire clip of video except for his head; he's watching everyone else work!

[sillyfrog]

07:52 PM on 07/14/2011

Maybe that was not part of his job.

[Aretia]

04:58 PM on 07/14/2011

Wow, how do we get one of those time-speeding-up doohickeys? Those could be useful.

[mokvaw]

04:39 PM on 07/14/2011

Now if I could just read all those books at the same speed.

[Siddharth Singh]

03:04 PM on 07/14/2011

Misleading title!

[sillyfrog]

07:53 PM on 07/14/2011

Not really because it would be impossible unless done by Hollywood, just pictures of books.

[JackHumphrey]

03:03 PM on 07/14/2011

That was fast.