Agricola Street Books in Halifax offers a carefully curated selection and atmosphere.
“We feel that by collecting books in excellent shape, with a view to titles and an ideas range meant to offer something for everyone and parking them in a truly beautiful space, we've created something that suits those walking by and looking for a book they've heard of or see something that sparks their interest,” says Nick Szymanis, who owns the shop with his partner, Oona Craig.
The space is unlike usual used bookshops that have every inch filled with volumes. This one is wide open and bright, with cedar, pine, walnut and glass. In the centre hangs a modern nine-tier stained glass chandelier.
As for the location, Szymanis said, “This is clearly a street that is pedestrian focused, with an assortment of locally owned shops and restaurants. We have watched it evolve over the past five years in particular, and with the density of condominiums now going in on all sides of us, we feel the future is friendly for a walk-up/walk-in bookstore.”
The main floor is accessible and plans are to make the second accessible in the near future.
“It's a simple concept for now that combines well with some unique sidelines and friendly staff. Another aspect we feel strongly about is accessible pricing, particularly for kids books. So the value proposition of Agricola Street books is strong.
“We would like to ensure a wide range of people can find something they like, or for their kids, and enjoy the experience of this while feeling good about their overall spend,” said Szymanis.
“Along with the curation of a book collection, we've raised a nice, young staff team consisting mostly of high school seniors and university students, most of whom have been involved for a few summers already. They've come over regularly, stepped over construction debris and set up in our back area in all seasons and helped process the collection to be available online and ready for the store shelves. It's a great team of young people that have helped us open; could not have done it without them.”
Not uncommonly for the last couple of years, the business was slowed down a bit by the pandemic.
“Perhaps more so in the synchronization of the work involved in getting the space ready. Building the book collection was perhaps benefitted by the extra time. Ensuring the interior work proceeded in a step-by-step fashion was, for sure, thrown by the timelines of materials, trades and city permitting processes that we feel were all impacted by the pandemic in a wider sense,” Szymanis said.
You can find the store at 2684 Agricola St.
Here are more retail happenings:
- Restaurant group RCR is launching a restaurant at 1566 Barrington St., in the former Attica space, called Pazzo Italian Ristorante. RCR also operates the Arms, Waterfront Warehouse, East of Grafton, Bianca Aperitivo Bar, Agricola Street Brasserie, Raw and Shuck.
- Latte-Da Coffee Tea Bistro and Gifts is open at the front of the former Seaport Market on the Halifax waterfront.
- Produce store Tomavo closed its Bedford shop. Earlier this year, it closed a newly opened store in Dartmouth. The Bayers Lake store remains open.
- Luke’s Small Goods is open at 2393 Agricola St., offering breakfast, lunch, baked goods, cured meat and pantry items.
- Crab Apple Bakery is open weekday mornings at 11377 Peggys Cove Rd. in Seaforth.
- A PetValu on Baker Drive by Sobeys has opened.
- The Coldstream Clear Distillery Outlet opened in Dartmouth Crossing, offering retail options, a tasting bar and merchandise.
- Chung Chun opened sooner than anticipated. The Korean rice dog shop is at 1569 Dresden Row.
Arthur Gaudreau is a retail enthusiast and publisher of a blog on retail comings and goings.