Last week, I drove into the Village of Southampton to get myself a book and to get some mushroom soup.
I parked very close to the bookstore and was about to enter when I noticed that there were no books on the shelves. There was no bookstore.
And then I remembered that a Barnes & Noble had opened recently in Bridgehampton [“Barnes & Noble Opening in Bridgehampton Commons,” 27east.com, November 28, 2023]. A small bookstore just can’t compete with a much bigger national chain.
I am saddened when a small local business can no longer remain open because it can’t compete with a national chain.
And as if the closing of the bookstore were not enough, the mushroom soup was not available!
James Slezak
Hampton Bays
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