By Scott Carlson
The Winding Trail Books store in Milton Square is slated to close on June 4. Its owners said they were adversely affected by fallout from the Covid pandemic. Photo by Lou Michaels.
After a nearly three-year run at Milton Square in St. Anthony Park, the Winding Trail Books store is closing on June 4.
In a statement on their store’s website, Winding Trail owners Sue Costello and Rick Gahm said their mom-and-pop shop was adversely affected by fallout from the Covid pandemic.
“Covid was such a hard time for us and others.” Costello said. “The effect of being closed, slow shopper return, new Covid strains, cancellations of in-person events and limited rent relief made it difficult for us to stay at this location.”
The co-owners have scheduled a moving sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 4, but are also looking to continue under their Winding Trail banner.
“We will continue our online sales and will hopefully see you out and about at different community events under our logo,” Costello said. “We are also actively looking for a new store location.
“We can’t say enough good things about the customers we have met and especially all of the students and people in the St. Anthony Park area who have come into our store. This time that we have had has only deepened our love of community and literature.”
In July 2019, Winding Trail Books debuted as the newest retailer in Milton Square, filling a void left by the closing of Micawber’s Books that spring.
Winding Trail has carried a variety of merchandise for all ages, including books, puppets, stuffed animals, book bags and gift baskets. The store’s inventory also has included products from Bartolucci, an Italian family-run business that includes wood-crafted collector items, such as statues.
“As a book lover who has spent many hours in libraries and bookstores over the years, it has always been a dream of mine to own a bookstore,” Costello said in a 2019 interview with the Bugle. “Rick and I both bring to the business years of experience, including owning our own businesses.” Gahm ran a mortgage company, while Costello, who worked in finance and has early childhood experience, has “extra love for children’s books.”
Scott Carlson is managing editor of the Bugle.
