Owning an Independent Bookstore in 2021

Do you crack open a new book with glee because it either came highly recommended or you recently went browsing in a bookstore and found the perfect book? What a feeling!

Meet Danica Sommerfeldt. She owns Coastal Bookstore in Coquitlam, BC. It’s a woman-owned, independent bookstore and Danica opened it during the pandemic. She didn’t know if it would survive. Her plans for it had completely changed, but over the last eight months, Danica has indeed survived. She doesn’t hold back about how difficult it’s been; but every day she reflects upon all the ups and downs, and there are certainly more ups than downs. After all, when you’re doing what you love, you find a way.

This is Danica’s story of firsts. A first for running her own business; a first for dealing with everything a pandemic can throw at a new business owner. If you want to know resiliency and moving forward every single day, then watch this episode of Shop Talk.

If you’re visiting the Tri-Cities or if you live here, visit Coastal Bookstore. Or order online. Buy a book. Buy several and help a local business just starting out to not just survive, but thrive.