Olsson's Books & Records to Close Its Georgetown Store

On May 29, Olsson’s Books & Records, an independent book and record store with nine (soon to be eight) branches in the greater Washington, D.C., area, has announced that it will be closing its Georgetown store at the end of June.

"Georgetown is changing so much," said Alicia Greene, marketing manager for Olsson’s Books & Records. "National chains are coming in -- Pottery Barn and Barnes & Noble, for example -- and rents are escalating." The higher rents, and a number of other factors, ultimately resulted in Olsson’s losing its lease for the Georgetown location. The company was unable to find another suitable location in town.

Olsson’s Books & Records has been a Wisconsin Avenue fixture for 26 years. It was the first Olsson’s location to combine books and music under one roof. Both book and music departments garnered reputations for their extensive selections, ranging from history to economics to biography, and from classical to opera to jazz and rock. Additionally, along with countless tourists and residents, the store has welcomed both diplomats and heads of state.

Greene said that Olsson’s has known since April that its Georgetown location would be closing. As a result, its company offices, which used to be housed above the Georgetown store, were moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, in April, in anticipation of the June closing. "For the past year, we’ve had lease extensions [at the Georgetown location]," she explained. "This spring, we knew we weren’t getting another."

Greene stressed that none of the Georgetown staff will lose their jobs and are being relocated to various other Olsson locations. "It’s important that everyone stays with us," she said. "We have a lot of great people with many years of experience, and there are plenty of openings [at other locations]." Furthermore, Jim Tenney, senior buyer at Georgetown, will move to Olsson’s Old Town Alexandria, Virginia store, where he will concentrate on rare and used books.

Even with the Georgetown store closing, however, the news is mostly good for the Washington, D.C.-area company. In fact, Olsson’s has opened two new locations -- at Reagan National Airport in November 2001, and in Rosslyn, Virginia, in December 2001. And Olsson’s will continue to look for opportunities to expand in the future. "We’re sad to close [the Georgetown store], but the company as a whole is moving forward," said Greene.

The Georgetown store will be holding a "good-bye party" on June 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and will invite former employees and customers of the store. There will be a live band playing blues and New Orleans jazz, headed by a former Georgetown music staff person.

Olsson’s new office address is 8905 Fairview Rd., Suite G1, Silver Spring, MD, 20910; marketing department direct phone, (301) 562-5911; fax (301) 562-9175; main office phone, (301) 562-0972. Its Web site is located at www.olssons.com.