Angel Schroeder, the owner of High Point’s only general-interest independent bookstore plans to close the business next month.
Schroeder says she has struggled to attract customers to Sunrise Books despite having a five-year presence on Main Street in Uptowne High Point. She says retail in the city is tough as many locals prefer to shop in Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
And booksellers in particular face competition from online retailers like Amazon, she says.
Still, she’s hoping someone will fill the void once Sunrise closes. Schroeder says bookstores still matter in an age when books are being banned.
“But it's also really important for community," she says. "We're a ‘third place,’ as people say, and there's just one fewer after July.”
Sunrise was known as the home to Poe, a friendly cat who roamed the aisles and greeted customers for about four years. Poe died in November.
Another cat, Flannery, has taken Poe’s place until the store closes in mid-July.