Vroman’s bookstores in Pasadena, Book Soup in LA are up for sale

Vroman’s Bookstore, a Pasadena landmark that has served Southern California for 130 years as a community center, supporter of nonprofits and venue for renowned authors including Ray Bradbury, Salman Rushdie and former President Bill Clinton, is up for sale.

Joel Sheldon, chairman and majority shareholder of the flagship Vroman’s on Colorado Boulevard, a smaller Vroman’s in Hastings Ranch and Book Soup in Los Angeles, says he plans to sell all three locations.

“I’ll be 80 years old soon, and my energy level isn’t as good as it used to be to keep it all going,” he said. “I figure I deserve a little time on my own … and Vroman’s deserves a change so it can move forward with new and vibrant ownership.”

No to national retail chains

Sheldon hasn’t identified a buyer, but he’s clear on one point: no national retail chains. He hopes instead to sell the business to a local entrepreneur or investment group.

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“We want someone who really appreciates Vroman’s and wants to continue it as a community resource,” he said. “So we’ll start with local people — maybe a family or group of younger people who would really look forward to this.”

Sheldon has been in charge of the business for 45 years and wants all the stores’ employees to be kept on under new ownership. That includes 123 employees at the Colorado Boulevard location, 13 in Hastings Ranch and 18 at Book Soup.

“It will be business as usual for shoppers,” he said. “We’ll do everything we can to keep things running and moving into the future.”

Sheldon figures it will take at least a year to find the right buyer.

“We’ll take our time,” he said. “We want the right people.”

Employees at the two Vroman’s locations were informed of the company’s intent to sell early Wednesday, while Book Soup employees learned of the plan later in the day.

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Vroman’s Colorado Boulevard store has amassed a huge following of readers who appreciate the store and its longevity. Pasadena resident Catherine Haskett Hany likens it to a “candy store for the soul.”

“I started going there as a child and was there just a couple weeks ago,” she said. “It’s a very special place — a truly magical place.”

Vroman’s is famous for its author signings and events, which also have featured Upton Sinclair, former President Jimmy Carter, Barbara Walters and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, among countless others.

The Colorado Boulevard store has also emerged as a vibrant gathering place for the community, hosting more than 400 free events a year, including children’s story times, trivia nights, craft classes, bake-offs and special launch parties.

The store supports a variety of causes and institutions through food drives, holiday gift drives, bone marrow donor match drives, pet adoption days, mentoring and support for local Girl Scout troops, school book fairs and the program Vroman’s Gives Back.

Gives Back donates a portion of customer purchases to local nonprofits, including public radio stations, arts centers, family services and programs supporting literacy, the homeless and animal welfare.

To date, the program has donated more than $830,460 on behalf of customers.

In 2008, Vroman’s received the Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year award. The annual award is chosen by a panel of industry professionals to honor the best bookstores in the country.

History and book legacy

Vroman’s was founded in 1894 by Adam Clark Vroman.

The Illinois native moved to Pasadena in the late 1800s, hoping it would improve his wife’s health. When she died two years later, he sold his beloved book collection to raise money to open a bookstore.

Vroman’s philanthropy mission started early when he helped rescue some of California’s old Franciscan missions from decay. The business also helped establish the Southwest Museum (now part of the Autry Museum of the American West) and has offered support to the Pasadena Library.

During World War II, Vroman’s donated and delivered books to Japanese Americans interned at nearby camps.

Adam Vroman died in 1916, leaving the store to longtime employees, one of whom was Sheldon’s great-grandfather.

The bookstore has continued as an independently owned family business, which includes the two Vroman’s locations, a website and Book Soup in West Hollywood, which was acquired in 2009 after its owner died, putting the store in danger of closing.

Vroman’s ownership consists mostly of family members, including Joel Sheldon who is the majority shareholder.

Industry challenges

Independent bookstores have faced a variety of challenges in recent years, especially competition from Amazon and other online retailers, rising rents and the readers who have turned to digital books.

A 2022 report from the Pew Research Center found that three out of 10 Americans read e-books. Despite growth in digital formats, relatively few readers consume digital books to the exclusion of print, the study said.

Elizabeth Cochran, 75, coordinator for the Pasadena Virtual Book Club, reads most of her books via a Kindle these days — primarily because her eyesight isn’t what it used to be.

“I have a light issue and I got the Kindle because it’s backlit and brighter,” she said. “But I love Vroman’s. It’s got everything you’d want in a bookstore. I just think it’s marvelous and iconic. It’s a blessing that we have it.”

Some have said the printed book is dying away. But Sherri Gallentine, Vroman’s head book buyer, doesn’t buy into that.

“I believe people will continue to want to hold a book in their hands and have that experience,” she said. “The book industry has gone through a lot of changes, but we persevere.”

Gallentine said Vroman’s role as an educational resource and community center has spanned multiple generations.

“It’s a very important place for the community,” she said. “We’ll find customers who say, ‘I came here with my grandma when I was a kid.’ That’s a really powerful thing.”

Vroman’s CEO Julia Cowlishaw agreed.

“Vroman’s has adapted successfully to many changes over the years, and Joel’s interest in new ownership is part of that continuum,” she said. “Entrepreneurship is in our DNA, so we’re excited about the possibility of exploring the opportunities and perspectives new ownership may bring.”

Source: Orange County Register