Schuler Books to close Lansing location in February

Schuler Books to close Lansing location in February
Schuler Books owners Cecile and Bill Fehsenfeld will close the company’s Eastwood Towne Center location in February after 15 years at the site.

LANSING — Schuler Books Inc. plans to close its Lansing location in the Eastwood Towne Center next month.

According to executives, Schuler Books & Music was faced with a less-than-ideal option of occupying a smaller space because of mall reconfigurations, all while paying a higher cost per square foot when the store’s lease ends in February. 

“While we deeply regret having to close the Eastwood store, strategically we will use this as an opportunity to explore new growth areas which have potential to enhance the future strength of the company as a whole,” Cecile Fehsenfeld, co-owner of Schuler Books, said in a statement.

Additionally, Fehsenfeld stated that real estate taxes at the Eastwood Towne Center location were considerably higher than at the company’s other Lansing-area store in Okemos.

The Eastwood Towne Center location has been in operation for 15 years. 

Schuler Books operates a location on 28th Street in Grand Rapids and owns Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor.

The company has shuttered two Grand Rapids-area stores in recent years as well.

“We live in an ever changing marketplace,” co-owner Bill Fehsenfeld said in a statement. “Taking this step, hard as it is, will allow us to keep our focus on the future growth and evolution of the company within that changing marketplace.”