Beloved Southern California bookstore closes its doors after 40 years

After decades in the community, a beloved bookstore is closing its doors for good, pushed out by the rising costs of living and working in Southern California.

The Book Rack in Arcadia is a used bookstore that has been in operation for over 40 years. It’s among the rarer species of stores in the age of Amazon book buying and online shopping.

Located in downtown Arcadia, the once bustling street filled with small storefronts is more vacant nowadays, a sign of a bygone era.

For Karen Kropp, 79, owning the bookstore has been a labor of love. She began working at the shop around 30 years ago. When the original owner passed away, she purchased the store and has been running it ever since.

“It’s been a whole whole lot of fun,” said Kropp. “This was the best job. It’s been my life.”

A lifelong reader and lover of stories, Kropp’s store gave second chances to used books, giving readers affordable access to whatever stories they desired to delve into.

But due to the rising costs of living in California, paired with dwindling sales from online competition, Kropp will be cleaning out her shelves and closing up shop for good.

As she grows older, her priorities have shifted. She said living on Social Security paired with the cost of doing business in California wasn’t sustainable.

“The neighborhood changed, the demographics changed,” Kropp said. “The pandemic didn’t help any small businesses.”

Following news of the store’s imminent closure, locals headed to the store in droves. Customers who have visited the shop for years said they’re sad to see it close. A final closeout sale has helped clear the store ahead of its last day on Feb. 28.

“Every time we walk out of here, I think we get eight to 10 books,” said one shopper.

“I wish I would’ve known about this, your little store a long time ago,” said another shopper.

“She’s just been a wonderful person to me,” said Helen Spencer, Kropp’s friend and a frequent customer. “I knew it was going to happen someday, but that someday came too soon.”

As Kropp stood amongst stacks of books, a familiar sight that has been a part of her life for decades, she said it was hard to imagine this was how her story would end.

“This was my social life and all my customers were my friends,” she said.

However, Kropp said running the bookstore has been a dream and honor of a lifetime and she’s ready to begin the next chapter of her life.

“It’s bittersweet but it’s time for me to relax,” she said. “I’m going to miss everybody because it’s been such a pleasure.”

After the shop’s last official day on Feb. 28, Kropp will leave California and move in with her younger sister in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As she continued clearing out the store, she said all books that remained unsold would be donated.

When she sets out on her journey to New Mexico, she plans to spend time in her RV and already has a book that she’s excited to read on the way.

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