Center Harbor's bookseller seeks a new chapter

CENTER HARBOR — Every good story must come to an end, and for the owner of Bayswater Books, that time has come. Michelle Taft, who has run the store for the past 17 years, said earlier this week she is retiring in October.

Taft said running the bookstore has been a “complete joy and I will miss it tremendously,” but that she’s had to make sacrifices in her personal life to serve her customers.

Bayswater Books, located in the Senter Market plaza, was started by Pat Thomas about 30 years ago. Taft came to own it as a second career, after leaving a job as head of buying and supply chain for nearly 500 Shaw’s supermarket stores.

In 2005, Taft and her husband left behind their high-pressure lives and relocated to the Lakes Region, where she sought a new, more relaxed outlet for her retail experience. It was her husband who learned that Bayswater was for sale, and in April of 2006, Taft signed the papers to make it her own.

She said it was just what she wanted, even if it wasn’t exactly what she was looking for.

“I was not looking for a bookstore, I was looking for a retail shop,” she said. She loves books and reading, so she was very interested when she learned that the store was available. “It just fell into place, it was meant to be.”

Taft said the tasks of running the business — purchasing, merchandising, marketing — came easily to her, allowing her to focus on the parts of the business she didn’t get while working for a grocery giant.

“The bonus here, what we really were looking for when we came here, was to be part of a community,” she said. “Here, what I’ve found was just a beautiful, welcoming community. Just fabulous.”

She said the best part of running the store has been getting to know her regular customers, staying current with the season’s best sellers, and helping people to find their next favorite read.

“My customers all know me, it’s just a joy. I cannot get over it, and it’s been this way for 17 years.”

Like any good tale, there have been times of anxiety. She bought the business on the eve of Amazon’s rise as the world’s biggest retailer. “That remains a challenge,” she said. Ebooks are another pressure on her sales, and big box-type retailers now sell books, too.

These developments were seen as existential threats for small bookstores, but many are still standing. While the COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult period for Bayswater, Taft said her book sales actually increased, though her overall sales took a dip.

“The dust has settled, and indie bookstores have their shoppers. They like books, they like holding books, they like talking to the booksellers, and we still do perform that service.”

Taft’s favorite moments are when someone new comes into the shop and tells her how “they like the feel of the store, the vibe,” which she has crafted to be peaceful and welcoming. Or when regular visitors return, and say that hers is the first shop they visit when they arrive for their vacation.

When she hears that, she said, “it really makes me wonder if this is the right time to leave — but it is, because I’m leaving on an ‘up.’”

Best sellers at Bayswater follow the industry trend, though she said she always has to keep a stock of local authors, such as MJ Pettengill and Ty Gagne, whose appeal remains consistent even as national picks change with the season.

Taft is currently in conversation with a couple of parties who are interested in taking over the store, which would be her preference for the future of the business. If she doesn’t find a successor, though, she will close down the store and sell off the merchandise and displays.

How will she spend her time afterward? She’ll wait until she turns that page. Though, it will surely involve spending more time with friends and family.

“I am waiting for the adventure to materialize,” she said. Then, gesturing at the store around her, “I didn’t know this was coming when we moved here.”