The Books-A-Million store at Leigh Mall in Columbus is closed, though it is unclear whether that closure will be permanent.
A company email released to customers Friday reported the store had closed. However, on Tuesday afternoon, Books-A-Million’s online store locator still indicated the Columbus store was “temporarily closed until further notice.” There is also a sign on the store’s door saying it is closed temporarily “at the direction and guidance of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)” and local health authorities due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Representatives from Hull Property Group, a Georgia-based company which bought Leigh Mall in 2019, referred The Dispatch to Books-A-Million for comment. No one from Books-A-Million’s marketing department returned calls and messages from The Dispatch by press time to clear the issue.
The bookstore has been in Columbus since at least 1989, according to financial records at the Lowndes County Tax Assessor’s Office, but Tax Assessor Greg Andrews said Tuesday the store may have been in business longer than that. The only other bookstore in Columbus is at the Mississippi University for Women.
Books-A-Million is only the latest retailer to close at Leigh Mall. Original anchors Sears and JCPenney have already departed, and the mall has also been steadily losing smaller tenants including RadioShack, Reed’s Jewelry, Payless ShoeSource, The Cookie Store and Kirkland’s, all of which have permanently closed, since 2017. Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness and a few other tenants remain.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 38 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
