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Half Price Books

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Half Price Books, Records, Magazines, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail (Specialty)
Founded1972;52 years ago(1972)
HeadquartersDallas, Texas
Number of locations
120 (2023)
Key people
ProductsBooks,Records,CDs, DVDs, Magazines, Video Games
Websitehpb

Half Price Books, Records, Magazines, Incorporatedis a chain of new and usedbookstoresin the United States. The company's original motto is "We buy and sell anything printed or recorded except yesterday's newspaper", and many of the used books, music, and movies for sale in each location are purchased from local residents. The corporate office is located in the flagshipNorthwest Highwaylocation inDallas, Texas.Half Price Books now operates more than 120 stores (including outlets) in 19 states.[1][2][3][4]

History[edit]

Entrance to the Half Price Books Northwest Highway, the corporate headquarters, on E. Northwest Highway inDallas,Texas
Half Price Books inBerkeley, California

Founders Ken Gjemre (1921-2002) and Pat Anderson opened the first store in 1972 in a former laundromat in Dallas, Texas, filling the shelves with 2,000 books out of their personal libraries.[5]Pat Anderson's daughter, Sharon Anderson Wright, is the company's current CEO, and Kathy Doyle Thomas is President.[6]In 2009, Sharon's sister Ellen O'Neal stepped up to the position of Chairperson of the Board to become more involved with the family business.

Unionization[edit]

Minnesota[edit]

Half Price Books employees at theRosevilleandSaint Paullocations inMinnesotafiled for union elections in late 2021 and were soon joined by theCoon Rapidslocation.[7]All three stores won their union elections on December 16, 2021, becoming the first unionized Half Price Books locations.[8]Employees from a fourth Minnesota location inSt. Louis Parkwon a union election on January 6, 2022.[9]Workers from the state's unionized locations belong to local chapters of theUnited Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).[10]

On July 13, 2023, employees from the four unionized Half Price Books locations in Minnesota began a strike, citing the company's conduct throughout the contract negotiation process. UFCW officials filed an Unfair Labor Practices charge with theNational Labor Relations Boardon behalf of the striking workers.[10]

Indiana[edit]

Half Price Books employees inGreenwood, Indianawon a union election on April 1, 2022, becoming the fifth store in the country to organize with a localUnited Food and Commercial Workerschapter.[11][12]

Philanthropy[edit]

The Half Price Books original mission statement includes the promise to "promoteliteracyand be kind to the environment. "[13]Teachers and librarians, for example, are offered a year-round 10% discount on purchases.[13]Each year, every Half Price Books store holds a book drive to collect new or gently used children's books, building "Half Pint Libraries" at non-profit organizations and schools in the communities it serves.[14]

The company has promoted recycling and reusing, and the sound management of paper, energy and water resources. In 2008, Half Price Books launched a formal environmental education initiative called "B(eco)me Green" to help spread knowledge about the health of the environment.[15]

In addition, the chain donates millions of books and its overstock inventory to non-profit organizations around the world such asFeed the ChildrenandAmerican Red Cross.It also gives some of its books toBetter World Books,a for-profit online bookseller.

Publishing[edit]

Half Price Books publishes some of the books it sells, inexpensively reprinting non-copyrighted titles or acquiring the U.S. or English language rights from another publisher. Half Price Books reprints these titles under its publishing arm, Hackberry Press.[16]

Among Hackberry Press titles is the Half Price Books children's storybook seriesSay Good Night to Illiteracy,with 13 editions in print. All proceeds from the series benefit familyliteracyorganizations such as Reach Out and Read and the National Center for Family Literacy project was axed in 2005.

Wholesale[edit]

The wholesale division of Half Price Books isTexas Bookman,also headquartered in Dallas.[17]Texas Bookman sells trade and scholarly remainders at discount prices to wholesale buyers around the world. In April 2020, Texas Bookman began selling directly to the public on their new retail website.[18]In May 2022, Texas Bookman hosted its first annual trade book show, Texas Remainder Expo (TRex), in which exhibitors travel from across the US and UK to show their latest inventory available for wholesale purchasing at discounted prices.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^Stafford, Leon (May 25, 2016)."Cobb Readers Rejoice – New Bookstore Coming".The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2018.RetrievedJuly 25,2017.
  2. ^"Our Stores".Half Price Books.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2017.RetrievedJuly 25,2017.
  3. ^Marrow, Hunter (March 8, 2020)."After 38 years, Half Price Books closes Rice Village location".Community Impact Newspaper.Houston,Texas.Archivedfrom the original on June 15, 2021.RetrievedMarch 9,2020.
  4. ^"Barnes & Noble plans four new Dallas-Fort Worth stores".Dallas News.June 28, 2023.RetrievedNovember 15,2023.
  5. ^"Obituaries: Passings Ken Gjemre, 81; Left Corporate Career to Found Bookstore Chain".Los Angeles Times.June 1, 2002.Archivedfrom the original on March 6, 2016.RetrievedJuly 25,2017.
  6. ^"press".hpb.RetrievedNovember 15,2023.
  7. ^"Minnesota Could See the First Unionized Half Price Books Locations".Racket.October 18, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on May 20, 2022.RetrievedApril 20,2022.
  8. ^"Minnesota bookstore workers win union recognition from NLRB, forming first union at national chain Half Price Books".UFCW 663.December 16, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on May 3, 2022.RetrievedApril 20,2022.
  9. ^Moore, Michael (January 7, 2022)."Half Price Books workers ready to bargain after victory in St. Louis Park".Workday Minnesota.Archivedfrom the original on May 4, 2022.RetrievedApril 20,2022.
  10. ^abNiepow, Dan (July 13, 2023)."Half Price Books Workers Strike at Four Minnesota Stores".Twin Cities Business.RetrievedJuly 14,2023.
  11. ^"Workers are organizing across industries for better conditions".Prism.April 13, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2022.RetrievedApril 20,2022.
  12. ^n.a."Union Organizing Victory At Half Price Books".UFCW Local 1546.RetrievedJuly 14,2023.
  13. ^abLasica, JD."Where to Find Nonprofit, Independent & Progressive Booksellers".SocialBrite.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2018.RetrievedJuly 25,2017.
  14. ^"Half Pint Library".Half Price Books.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
  15. ^"Become Green".b(eco)me green.Archived fromthe originalon February 20, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
  16. ^"Hackberry Press – Trademark".Trademarkia.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
  17. ^"Texas Bookman".Manta.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
  18. ^"Shop Texas Bookman".Texas Bookman.Archivedfrom the original on February 26, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 26,2022.
  19. ^"Texas Remainder Expo".Archivedfrom the original on March 19, 2022.RetrievedApril 19,2022.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Half_Price_Books&oldid=1220443398"