Open for less than two weeks, the new Sherman’s shop in Windham is one of three new locations for Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops, joining other new sites in Topsham and Rockland. Sherman’s is the oldest book store in Maine and was founded in Bar Harbor in 1886, making it one of the 10 oldest book stores in the United States.
Besides offering a wide assortment of general interest books, Sherman’s of Windham carries a wide selection of stationery, cards, puzzles, games, toys, and gifts, many produced right here in Maine
“The best thing about what we do is partnering people with books that make them light up, especially children,” said Jeff Curtis, CEO and co-owner of Sherman’s. “We’re not some big chain, we’re a Maine family-owned business with multiple locations.”
Continued customer support during the pandemic both online and at Sherman’s retail shops led to a search by the company for a new location to replace one in Camden that closed in 2020.
According to Curtis, the Sherman’s team did a great job of creating a healthy shopping environment for our customers and themselves during the pandemic, and its customers deeply appreciated being able to come in Sherman’s locations and browse. The resulting surge in business left the company looking for growth opportunities.
“We went looking for an opportunity to open a new store and found three opportunities instead. We couldn’t decide between them, so we decided to open all three,” Curtis said.
The greatest misconception the public may have about running a bookstore is that smaller shops can’t compete against Amazon and other online retailers, but Curtis says it’s not true.
The selection of books at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham is exceptional and if a book can’t be found there, employees will locate a copy for those searching for it.
“We excel at customer service and our staff in each store will be more than happy to help you find the right book,” Curtis said. “In my opinion what really makes the bookstore special is the staff and we have great staff.”
The new Windham location has six employees and is managed by Windham resident Taylor Rice. The shop is open seven days a week all year round.
Curtis said that the Windham location is ideal and since its opening, business has been great.
“The abundance of available parking is an asset for the store,” he said. “Many of our other locations are located in downtown districts and customers have to search for parking spots to visit us there. The new Windham Sherman’s is fortunate to have such ample parking.”
Special events such as author visits and book signings have been shelved because of COVID-19 restrictions but will resume once the pandemic is over.
Sherman’s offers a wide assortment of popular books, Maine books, bargain books, young reader books, cookbooks, and travel guides.
Maria Boord Curtis, Director of Operations, and the co-owner of Sherman’s said that the company’s basic business philosophy is simple.
“We put people first,” she said. “Our customers are important to us. We strive to create a place for both our customers and employees to flourish and that’s what truly makes a business successful.”
She said personalized service is standard at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops.
“We have grown over the years by listening and catering to our customers,” Boord Curtis said.
The Windham location of Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop is at 795 Roosevelt Trail in the Windham Mall next to Renys.
For more information about Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham, call 207-857-7111 or visit them online at www.Shermans.com or find them on Facebook at Sherman’s Book’s and Stationery. <
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