The Book Rack & Children's Pages to Close

by Judith Rosen, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 2/20/2007

The Book Rack & Children's Pages in Essex Junction, Vt., will close on March 11, after several attempts to sell the store fell through. Owner Elaine Sopchak cited both business and personal reasons for shutting the store after 26 years. With the birth of a third child, Sopchak said she wanted to spend more time with her family, but acknowledged that the Book Rack faced "considerable competition" from online booksellers as well as the grocery store chain Hannaford and Costco.

Sopchak plans to continue to take an active role in Vermont's Local First program and in the Burlington Book Festival. She also intends to keep her hand in the book business by doing author publicity. Vermont authors Archer Mayor and Howard Mosher have signed on as her first clients.