Edward McKay Used Books & More shuts Raleigh store

Edward McKay Used Books & More, which has been a been a regular stop for many Raleigh book lovers for nearly two decades, shut down for good this week without any warning.

Customers who drove to the store at 3514 Capital Boulevard, across the street from Chuck E. Cheese’s, as well as employees of other stores in the same small strip mall were puzzled to find the doors locked this week – and no sign explaining why.

“Nobody knows what’s going on,” Elizabeth Phillips, a cashier at Trade It!, a nearby store that sells pre-owned electronics and other merchandise, said Thursday afternoon.

But late Friday afternoon the regional chain’s head of retail operations, Janet Elliott, confirmed that the store’s final chapter has been written.

“It is with much regret that we announce the closing of our Edward McKay Used Books & More Raleigh location,” she wrote. “Thank you to all of the customers who have shopped with us in Raleigh for almost 20 years.”

Elliott didn’t provide any explanation for the decision to close the store, which was unusually large for a used bookstore – more than 10,000 square feet, according to the retailer’s website.

Customers who have “trade credit” from trading in used books, music or movies do have an option for redeeming that credit, although it’s not a convenient one. Elliott wrote that customers can redeem their trade credit at the Edward McKay store in Winston-Salem, at 115 Oakwood Drive, or the Greensboro store at 1607 Battleground Avenue.

Last year the regional chain closed a store in Fayetteville.

This story was originally published April 21, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Edward McKay Used Books & More shuts Raleigh store."