A month after eviction, Bluffton children’s bookstore finds new home. Here’s where
One month ago, the Storybook Shoppe packed up its children’s books, stuffed animals and puzzles, leaving the small brick building in Old Town Bluffton it had called home for nearly 15 years.
On Saturday, it reopened less than 5 miles away at Tanger Outlets 2, persevering as a Hilton Head Island area community staple despite owner Sally Sue Lavigne scrambling to find a new location this year. On Jan. 5, Lavigne’s old landlord gave her a month’s notice to leave the Old Town Bluffton building by Feb. 10.
“It’s more magical,” Lavigne said of the bookstore’s new space, where kids lay on colorful rugs and listened to Lowcountry authors reading aloud during the store’s 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. grand opening.
Leading up to the opening day had been “crazy,” Lavigne said. She explained that Tanger Outlets reached out to her at the end of January and since then they’ve been painting, assembling bookshelves and preparing to create a “beautiful magical environment.”
Lavigne said it’s worth it to see community members enjoying the store once again.
“Bookstores are the heart of a community,” she said. “They’re not only a place to get a book, but they’re a place to gather and meet new friends.”
The store is open every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with hours extended seasonally. It is next to the Nike store in Tanger 2.
