Magers & Quinn

Magers & Quinn (M&Q) is a bookstore located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. It is the largest independent bookseller in the city.

History

The store was founded by Denny Magers, who already owned a small antiquarian bookstore in the city. Magers and Quinn became his second bookstore. The title of the store comes from his father and mother's last names.[1] The store opened in August 1994 during the Uptown Art Fair[2] in the Bryant Building, a 1922 structure which originally housed an automobile dealership.[3] Construction to expand the store was completed at a later date.[4]

M&Q started as a used bookstore, buying used books from the public and libraries and reselling them. A small percentage of sales came from the sale of rare books as well as new and used collectible books.[5] To confront the challenge posed by e-commerce (over 1,000 bookstores nationwide closed between 2000 and 2007 due to pressure from e-commerce),[6] M&Q began offering two new categories of books. The first was newly published works. The second was new books which are no longer available, such as out-of-print books. As of 2015, each category accounted for roughly a third of the store's income.[5]

M&Q also began to sell books online, and as of 2015 about 30 percent of total sales were online. The company maintains its own web site, but also partners with other online retailers such as Amazon.com.[5]

As of 2015, Magers and Quinn was Minneapolis' largest independent bookstore.[2][7] The store has more than 8,000 square feet (740 m2) of sales space,[3] 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of storage space, and an inventory of roughly 250,000 books.[2] Denny Magers is the only owner the store has had.[1]

Literary events

M&Q hosts several author readings and literary events a year.[8]

References
  1. "Interview with a Bookstore: Magers & Quinn". LitHub.com. August 31, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  2. Wiley, Megan (August 26, 2015). "How Magers & Quinn Outlasts Other Booksellers". Twin Cities Business. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  3. Dewink, Gina (February 3, 2015). "10 Independent Bookstores To Get Cozy With This Winter". The Line. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  4. "About Us". Magers & Quinn. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  5. Wiley, Megan (September 8, 2015). "How one Minneapolis bookstore continues to thrive". Minnesota Post. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  6. Mumford, Tracy (May 1, 2015). "The rebound of the indie bookstore". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  7. Smith, Terri Peterson (2013). Off the Beaten Page: The Best Trips for Lit Lovers, Book Clubs, and Girls on Getaways. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. p. 132. ISBN 9781613744260.
  8. "Magers & Quinn Booksellers". Poets & Writers. 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.

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