(Left to right: Store manager Rob Tougas with owners Dean and Dee McIntosh.)
Add a new word to the “R’s” of environmental stewardship: Re-Read.
Local business owners Dean and Dee McIntosh have a progressive vision for Re-Read Books, their used bookstore opening on Monday at 1488 Stittsville Main Street.
“We believe in reusing and recycling. Its really important to us,” said Dean.
This will be a retirement project for the two public servants, who are hoping to ease into retirement in the coming years.
Whether it’s the pre-owned books, the bookshelves and tables donated by friends, the couch bought on Kijiji, or the eco-friendly coffee machine, the McIntosh’s are making sure their store has a small carbon footprint.
“It all blends into our philosophy of recycling,” said Dean. “We like to recycle a lot of things. If you look through our store, you’ll see that we didn’t buy most of the stuff in here. Even the coffee we sell with the Keurig – the K-cups are 100% recyclable. We scrape the coffee out and compost it.”
Beyond these green initiatives, the McIntosh’s hope their community involvement will appeal to the residents of Stittsville. Their business has already partnered with Hope for Orphans – Congo, a registered Canadian charity helping children in the troubled African state.
“They’re really wonderful people and we’ve been dealing a lot with them,” explained Dean. “We sent a few French-language books, because many of the children speak French over there. We take things for granted in this country. If we want to read something, we can just pick up a book or go on the Internet. But those kids don’t have the opportunity. They just go crazy for books.”
The store is located across the street from the Stittsville Legion and just a few blocks from the Stittsville Manor and Villa retirement residences. The owners believe these establishments will provide them with steady customers.
As for the youth demographic, Dean understands he and his wife face a challenge with the rise of e-books – although some recent market data suggests the market for Kindles and Kobos is starting to level off.
“We’re looking for all demographics. Younger people, they tend to want to use their Kobo, or their electronic media. But there’s a difference when you actually pick up a book. Many people would prefer to read from a physical book. There’s a different feel to it.”
The day care located next door to Re-Read Books will also allow them to reach out to different markets.
“We have a children’s area in here, where children can play and read some books while the parents shop around. It encourages the children to read.”
On the whole, Dean McIntosh is enthusiastic about his new business. The ideals it represents will help make Stittsville, and the planet, a more sustainable place.
“Every time I sell a book, I save a tree.”
Re-Read Books will be open weekdays from 10:00am-8:00pm, Saturdays from 10:00am-6:00pm, and Sundays from 10:00am-4:00pm.
I always like to find used book stores. I was wondering if you take trade-ins for a small consideration or just donations.
Would love to hear from you.
We do take in books and offer in store credit which can be used then or later (our system is computerized so we keep records for our customers). We also take DVD’s and Blu rays.
I am excited that you are here I can hardly wait to come in and look around. Do you take all books including recipe books or magazines?