The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

Former Bloomsbury director sets up bookshop

24.06.08 Jo Young

Husband and wife team Rosamund and Bill de la Hey have opened a new bookshop in the village of St Boswells in the Scottish borders. Rosamund de la Hey was formerly children's marketing director at Bloomsbury.

Books will be the main focus of the store, which opened with around 4,500 titles in stock, a number that the owners plan to increase to up to 8,000 over the coming weeks.

Alongside its general bookstore, The Mainstreet Trading Company houses an antiques concession, gift department and café. The owners' future plans include the launch of a "fishing hamper" service to cater to the thriving local and tourist fishing industry, and a new line in frozen foods. There are also plans to offer in-house catering in the Sugarhouse Gallery at the back of the shop's courtyard.

Co-owner Rosamund de la Hey said that children's books would be a key part of The Mainstreet Trading Company's literary offer. "Though we are a general bookstore we have a big children's department, and because of my background I like to think we'll become known for our children's books. Judging from the feedback we've had so far, I also think that local interest and history will be big for us, because there seems to be a demand for those kinds of non-fiction titles," she said.

The store, which claims to be "the only one of its kind within a 40 mile radius", generated keen interest locally on its opening day, with queues forming to take advantage of the offer of £50-worth of free books for the first three customers.

Retail Bloomsbury Jo Young Rosamund de la Hey

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