Schuler Books & Music -- Michigan Bookstores Little Sister Grows Larger and Moves

After 12 years -- and two expansions -- the Okemos, Michigan, location of Schuler Books and Music has a new home. At 24,000 square feet, the new space (in the Greater Lansing area) is a good deal closer in size to the 20-year-old Grand Rapids Schuler Books and Music, which is 35,000 square feet. In addition, the Okemos store, which opened in late October, now offers a state-of-the-art music department, with preview listening stations, and an expanded café. These are among the features that have made the original store a beloved fixture in Michigan's second largest city, winning the title of Best Bookstore in Grand Rapids by the readers of On the Town magazine for the past five years.

Owners William and Cecile Fehsenfeld, who met selling books in Ann Arbor several decades ago, were ready for yet another expansion when they found a vacancy in the Meridian Mall. That location offered more space, an opportunity to upgrade, high-quality anchor stores, and a direct entrance from the parking lot as well as an inside mall entrance. "Customers are treating it like a free-standing store," William Fehsenfeld told BTW. "We've had a great response [to the new store] and had a good Christmas."

Local Lansing media has made mention of the coincidental but simultaneous relocation by the Okemos Barnes & Noble store to a nearby East Lansing location. That doesn't seem to be a problem for Fehsenfeld. He noted that B&N actually moved closer to the Michigan State University campus, and further away from Schuler. "That was helpful to us," he said.

-- Nomi Schwartz