Magers & Quinn Explained

Magers & Quinn
Building Type:	Bookstore
Location Town:	-->
Est Completion:	-->
Opened Date:	August 1994
Destruction Date:	-->
Owner:	Denny Magers
Management:	or
Operator:	or
Governing Body:	-->

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. To confront the challenge posed by e-commerce (over 1,000 bookstores nationwide closed between 2000 and 2007 due to pressure from e-commerce),^[5] 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.^[6]

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.

As of 2015, Magers and Quinn was Minneapolis' largest independent bookstore.^[7] The store has more than 8000square feet of sales space, 10000square feet of storage space, and an inventory of roughly 250,000 books. Denny Magers is the only owner the store has had.

Literary events

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

References

44.9471°N -93.2988°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Interview with a Bookstore: Magers & Quinn. LitHub.com. August 31, 2015. July 9, 2017. December 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161207152137/http://lithub.com/interview-with-a-bookstore-magers-quinn/. live.
2. News: Wiley. Megan. How Magers & Quinn Outlasts Other Booksellers. Twin Cities Business. August 26, 2015. October 1, 2015. October 3, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151003021234/http://tcbmag.com/Industries/Retail-and-Hospitality/How-Magers-Quinn-Outlasts-Other-Booksellers. live.
3. News: Dewink. Gina. 10 Independent Bookstores To Get Cozy With This Winter. The Line. February 3, 2015. July 9, 2017. August 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170829004854/http://www.thelinemedia.com/features/independentbookstores02032015.aspx. live.
4. Web site: About Us. Magers & Quinn. 1 October 2015. 2 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151002092023/http://www.magersandquinn.com/index.php?main_page=about_us. live.
5. News: Mumford. Tracy. The rebound of the indie bookstore. Minnesota Public Radio. May 1, 2015. July 9, 2017. September 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160914184142/http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/05/01/bcst-books-bookstore-roundtable. live.
6. News: Wiley. Megan. How one Minneapolis bookstore continues to thrive. Minnesota Post. September 8, 2015. July 9, 2017. December 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161221073136/https://www.minnpost.com/twin-cities-business/2015/09/how-one-minneapolis-bookstore-continues-thrive. live.
7. Book: Smith, Terri Peterson. Off the Beaten Page: The Best Trips for Lit Lovers, Book Clubs, and Girls on Getaways. Chicago. Chicago Review Press. 2013. 9781613744260. 132. 2017-07-09. 2024-02-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20240226153602/https://books.google.com/books?id=OO-OPulIfSYC. live.
8. Web site: Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Poets & Writers. 2017. July 9, 2017. August 2, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150802080812/http://www.pw.org/reading_venues/magers_quinn_booksellers. live.