Quaintly tucked away in the Fairway Shops, Rainy Day Books has survived and thrived on community and relationships for half a century, weathering the highs and lows of being a retail bookseller – like big box stores, e-readers and Amazon home delivery.
Having celebrated its 50th anniversary on November 4th, Rainy Day Books is considered one of the leading independent bookstores in the country, having been featured or mentioned in Fortune Small Business, The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. National Publishers Weekly profiled Rainy Day Books for having “set the gold standard” in the industry for author events, producing more than 100 a year. But, to Kansas Citians, it is simply our bookstore.
Vivien Jennings opened Rainy Day Books in 1975 with paperback stock culled from friends and garage sales. Jennings’ family helped clean out the space, and she sewed the shop’s window curtains herself. She made an arrangement with UMKC’s theater department to build shelves out of particle board. She added a little rocking chair and a simple counter, the shop opened, and Jennings was a bookseller. The initial business model allowed readers to trade their used paperbacks in for others they wanted to read, or just buy them outright for half price. As her client base expanded, bolstered by the loyalty of strong relationships, so, too, did her offerings…