Loyalty Bookstores is set to close its Downtown Silver Spring location at 823 Ellsworth Dr. in early February and relocate to Bump ‘n Grind Coffee’s Analog Market.
Owner Hannah Oliver Depp announced the move via email on Saturday evening, citing changes in the bookselling world over the past few years. “As you may know, the bookselling world has changed a lot over the last few years, offering both new joys and new challenges,” Oliver Depp said. “A huge part of our mission at Loyalty Bookstores is to embrace the challenges—like shrinking profit margins, safety concerns, and the ongoing fight for underrepresented books—fueled by the joy we get from being a part of this thriving community of book lovers.”
Starting February 8th, Loyalty Silver Spring will open its store and offices at 923 Gist Ave., occupying the upper floor and part of the ground floor at Bump n’ Grind’s Analog Market. Loyalty Bookstores and Bump ‘n Grind previously collaborated on pop-up events, and Loyalty currently has a space at the Analog Market.
“We are excited to welcome Loyalty Books into our community at Analog Market,” Bump ‘n Grind owner David Fogel wrote in the shop’s Liner Notes blog last November. “An inspiring local book store, their pop-up shop at our cozy home at 923 Gist Ave. is a perfect complement to the quirky vinyl and thrift cafe concept we have been developing the past few months.”
Bump ‘n Grind’s Analog Market, recently awarded the “Best Luddite Shopping Experience” by Washington City Paper, is scheduled for extensive renovations in the coming months, transforming the building into a unique space featuring an outdoor garden, indoor coffee house/restaurant, vinyl/piano bar, and back patio. Loyalty Bookstores will maintain regular store hours during the Analog Market renovation, and will further expand within the space once the renovations are complete.
The renovations will expand the shop space for Loyalty and its partners, create a larger lounge area for customers, and establish an indoor/outdoor event space for hosting year-round programming.
“We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to moving on up in the book world with you,” Oliver Depp said.
The full text of the announcement is below:
Dear Friends,
We are always pleased to share our milestones and moments of upward momentum with you! Last year we enjoyed a fantastically successful fundraiser thanks to many of you, which has opened the door to new areas of growth and transformation in 2024. As we head into our fourth year of operations in Silver Spring we have some big news to share: Loyalty Bookstores Silver Spring location is moving this February!
Don’t worry! We will still be a part of the greater Silver Spring community. We are excited to be joining forces with Bump N’ Grind Coffee and Record Shop and Analog Market to bring you a shiny new home for all your favorite books.
Beginning February 8th, Loyalty Silver Spring will open its store and offices at 923 Gist Avenue, occupying the upper floor and part of the ground floor at Bump n’ Grind’s Analog Market. The house at 923 Gist will undergo renovations this spring to expand, including more shop space for Loyalty and other partners, a larger lounge area for those enjoying their coffee, and most exciting for us, an indoor / outdoor event space to host programming all year long. Loyalty Bookstores will be open for our regular store hours throughout the Analog Market renovation and will expand within the space after renovations are complete.
As you may know, the bookselling world has changed a lot over the last few years, offering both new joys and new challenges. A huge part of our mission at Loyalty Bookstores is to embrace the challenges—like shrinking profit margins, safety concerns, and the ongoing fight for underrepresented books—fueled by the joy we get from being a part of this thriving community of book lovers.
Loyalty is dedicated to growing our offerings in this new space and we will continue to be a prominent local source for a diverse, thoughtful selection of books, unique stationery and gifts, and innovative programming. Bump & Grind’s Analog Market is a community-driven hub for makers and vendors like Candles With Attitude and Hello Herren, connected to many small businesses in the Silver Spring area. This new space will connect Loyalty Bookstores with even more of our esteemed neighbors, increase our space for hosting author events, community programming, and support our goals for growth and stability in 2024 and beyond. We can’t wait to see you there!
For our extended Loyalty friends, you can still find us operating at Loyalty Petworth on Upshur street with our normal hours and we are remaining at 843 Upshur St NW! We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to moving on up in the book world with you.
Stay cool and keep warm,
Hannah, Christine + the Loyalty Team
Loyalty Bookstores Graphic