You always meet twice in life, and that also applies to the bookstore chain “Thalia” in Wels, which has returned to the city center and yesterday opened its branch on the corner of Schmidtgasse and Ringstrasse. Incidentally, this is the 40th store in Austria. For three or four years, the return to the center of Wels has been a topic once more and once more, said Thalia managing director Andrea Heumann yesterday at a press conference. “However, it wasn’t the right location. But when one of the best locations was put on the table, we mightn’t say no.” In addition, Wels would have done its homework and the city center would have become much more attractive.
The branch with a total of ten employees is managed by Nicole Thannesberger from Wels, a long-time Thalia bookseller who previously worked in Ried and Linz.
The branch differs from the range of books in the max.center by having a larger focus on literature and Austria. “With manga and English books, we also want to be a meeting place for young people,” says Thannesberger. Since TikTok users have been posting their favorite books under #BookTok, more young people have become enthusiastic regarding reading once more. The book trade is also benefiting greatly from this online hype. Regular events such as readings are also planned.
Thalia is expected to start with self-scanning cash registers in Linz at the end of March, and bicycle couriers have recently been used there to deliver the desired items to your home.
The pick-up stations, where customers can flexibly pick up the books they have ordered around the clock, are also well received. From mid-March there will also be a pick-up station in front of the new Wels branch.
Author
Michaela Krenn-Aichinger
Michaela Krenn-Aichinger
