FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. –Bob’s News and Books is an old-school, mom-and-pop shop serving downtown Fort Lauderdale with the hottest newspaper headlines and glossy magazine covers for over 50 years. But with steep declines in print circulation, the once-traditional newsstand has since evolved into a half-convenience store to stay afloat.
The quaint store on Andrews Avenue is packed with merchandise from banned books wrapped in plastic to be preserved as antiques to oddball titles you won’t find at a typical Barnes & Noble. Across from Broward Health Medical Center, it’s a regular stop for nurses to grab snacks before their shifts, and day-one regulars to pick up lottery tickets, hoping for a life-changing win. Nowadays, fewer customers leave this neighborhood staple with a folded print issue under their arm, as many turn to their digital devices for the latest news.
“People get eBooks and read articles off the internet instead of buying magazines like this,” said Paul Ranni, a Bob’s News regular, licking his thumb to flip through the pages of a motorsport magazine as he sat outside the store. The Fort Lauderdale local calls the shop “unique,” pointing out that there aren’t many newsstands left in the area where you can just walk in and buy print copies off the shelf…