One of Victoria’s most prominent and popular bookstores is moving shop…right across the street!

Russell Books will be combining all of their inventory and moving into the old Staples building right across the street at 747 Fort Street.

This transition is a massive expansion for the business, as the new store is 18,000 sq. ft. – that’s 6,000 sq. ft more space than their current location.

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It also provides improved accessibility, as the building comes equipped with an elevator, an escalator, a loading bay in the back for when shipments come in, and a single storefront entrance rather than the three that Russell Books currently has.

The transition will take place over the next three to four months, and owner Andrea Minter says the business will not shut down during the move.

“We don’t want to have closure so we’re going to do our best to get it as organized as possible,” Minter told Victoria Buzz. “It might mean that some sections might not be open but we’re going to do our best to have as little disruption as possible.”

Andrea, her husband Jordan, her brother, and her parents co-own Russell Books, making it a quintessential family business. As of June 1st, they signed a 10-year-lease (with the option to renew) with the owners of the new building.

See also: GoFundMe created to save 30-year-old Central Saanich bookstore

“When we were in two buildings, we had two separate landlords and one of the buildings is going up for sale, so we had to make a business decision,” said Minter.

Once they’ve moved into the larger space, Minter says customers can also look forward to a larger inventory and bigger sections.

Russell Books first opened in downtown Victoria in 1991 when founder Reg Russell expanded his Montreal operation and brought it to the city.

Today, it is the single largest independent bookstore operator in downtown Victoria and offers a massive variety of literature, covering every inch of the store from floor to ceiling.

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