While local bookstore owners are welcoming a new player into the downtown area, not all of them are optimistic about Literati Bookstore’s future success.

Bill Gillmore, owner of Dawn Treader Book Shop was blunt in his assessment. “I think they’re doomed,” he told Concentrate Media.

The new owners have been soliciting advice from their soon-to-be fellow booksellers, Aunt Agatha’s and Nicola Rooney, who owns and runs Nicola’s Books in the Westgate Shopping Center, Concentrate reported.

Owners stressed that the key to making Literati successful will be to create a community of book buyers who will come back to the store for their purchases. The increase in Internet sales has made it tough for brick-and-mortar stores to survive, but stores in Ann Arbor have realized some success by specializing and making their stores destinations rather than just shops.

Literati has leased space at the corner of Fourth Avenue and East Washington Street and is currently working on minor renovations to the space and moving in shelving. According to the store’s blog, Literati hopes to open in early March.

• Read the article from Concentrate Media.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2