Waterstones to open Yarm branch

Waterstones is set to open a bookshop in the North Yorkshire market town of Yarm this weekend.

The new shop, opening on Saturday 27th August, will be located on the 97 High Street and will employ three staff, trading from 1,400 sq ft over one floor.

Michael Howlett, Waterstones Yarm bookshop manager, said that the company was “privileged” to bring a bookshop back to the town after the closure of independent Yarm Bookshop.

“We open our new bookshop in Yarm with a great sense of pride,” he said. “It’s a privilege to restore a dedicated bookshop to the town, and with its thriving high street and strong sense of community its long been our ambition to do so.”

He added that he company “jumped” at the chance to rent the building when it became available. “We are very much looking forward to giving this beautiful market town the specialist bookshop it deserves,” he said.
 
Waterstones has opened several shops in towns recently where independents have closed.

Harpenden Books, run by Waterstones, opened in April this year, which followed The Rye Bookshop in Kent and The Southwold Bookshop, which was the first to open without bearing the Waterstones brand in 2014. The company also opened a three-story Waterstones Tottenham Court Road in London in December and will replace its recently-closed Wimbledon branch this autumn.

The company has also closed branches this year, though, including London’s Oxford Street Plaza, its Edinburgh George Street branch and its Reading Oracle store.

The opening of Yarm Waterstones bring the company’s tally to 276 shops across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and its website www.waterstones .com.