SECONDHAND AND ANTIQUARIAN

BOOKSHOP

LOCATION

The busy and historic county town is the popular main centre in West Dorset, attracting locals and tourists alike to the  excellent range of independent and national high street shops.

DESCRIPTION

Delightfully located in a courtyard setting between the main central car parking area and the main shopping thoroughfare of the town.The bookshop was established in 1993 and is very well-stocked with second-hand books, including some nearly new and some antiquarian. Having built up an excellent reputation over these years, this is one of the shops that booklovers travel to from all over the country, either in search of an elusive title or to browse the latest stock.

THE BUSINESS

The owner has run the Bookshop as a lifestyle business, an extension of his all-absorbing interest in books, and the bottom line profit has not been the most important factor. He is now retiring and the accounts for the year ending April 2006 show a turnover of £16,500, which allows the business to pay for all the overheads and make just a small operating net profit.

THE PROPERTY, FIXTURES & FITTINGS

This bookshop is one of several small units located in an idyllic courtyard setting in the centre of town, between the car parks and the main shopping street. There is also a tearoom with outdoor seating on the grass area next to the bookshop, which adds to the ambience of the setting.

The shop is brick built under a tiled roof, and has a glazed entrance door with large display windows on either side. There is a further window on the adjoining aspect. The sales area is filled with books displayed to ceiling height on fitted shelves and extra display tables, and the sales counter is fronted with a fully stocked bookcase.  A door leads off the sales area to a small kitchen area and toilet facilities, and there is a further storage area behind a pair of three-quarter height louvre doors.

STOCK  Stock to be sold separately at valuation (SAV) estimated to be £15,000 - £20,000.

PRICE - £ 20,000 for the goodwill, fixtures, fittings and equipment and the leasehold interest. (SAV)

VIEWING Strictly by appointment only through Lakey & Co.

AGENTS COMMENTS

This retirement sale offers a rare opportunity to purchase a delightful second-hand bookshop in the centre of this busy and popular town. With potential for a new and business-minded owner to increase trade, this is an ideal small business to suit a couple or an individual looking for a west-country lifestyle in the beautiful county of Dorset.