Nuggets Used Books has moved from its awkward location on Vedder Road to a spacious, welcoming building in downtown Chilliwack. The new store, located at 45832 Wellington Avenue, boasts an increased inventory of books, records, and CDs, as well as accessible parking and refreshing AC.
As you enter the new location, a small, orange handwritten sign reads "this is a place for people who enjoy books," a notion which is consistently reinforced in the comfortable, nostalgic atmosphere of the store, the customers who drive a long way to see what's new, and of course, the owner, Neil Stad.
As an avid, lifelong reader and book lover, Stad has been running his book store for over 15 years. While many customers felt that the cramped corridors of Nuggets' prior location added a cozy charm, the minimal parking options and lack of air conditioning were a bit of a nuisance.
When the Vedder Road Nuggets building sold in April 2015, Stad had only one month to find a new location and make the move. "I tried to find a spot in Sardis or Vedder, but none of the spots felt right," he explains. When Stad took a risk and toured a place on Wellington, however, he knew right away that this would be Nuggets' new home.
It took Stad eight busy days to set up shop in the new location, a space with many advantages. The Wellington location is 850 square feet larger. "I had been storing excess book collections in my garage […] now suddenly I have room to bring that in. My stock is probably u
p about 10%," says Stad regarding the store growth. Additionally, the new space is more well-lit, there is ample street parking, and the space stays cool with AC.
Customers have responded "awesomely" to the new place. When asked if customers were happy to follow him to the new location, a nearby shopper raises his hand and smiles. Stad is discovering that customers who found the prior location "tricky" are now coming in twice as often.
The new location is walking distance from another used book store, The Book Man, which Stad sees as a mutually beneficial circumstance. "I've always sent people there when I don't have something," says Stad, "and they've sent a lot of people over here too." Overall, the more people who are in town looking for great books to read, the better.
Stad is appreciative of all the downtown readers, and he generously keeps a shelf of free books out front. The thrill of finding a 'nugget' of gold, Stad explains, resonates with the excitement that shows in customers who have found the book that they've been searching for forever, or the one they never knew they wanted.
Stad is always looking for unique books, records and CDs to buy, sell or trade. Nuggets is open Monday to Saturday.
Visit Nuggets Used Books 2015 on Facebook to view pictures of the new store and its happy customers.