By Alivia Stonier
Little Fox Bookshop, an independent, family-run bookstore, is officially opening its doors this weekend in the heart of Southbury.
Co-owned by sisters Abby and Maggie Lee, the two spoke with The Record to discuss the process and inspiration behind the shop’s opening.
“We’ve both always loved reading,” they said. “Our mom is a retired first-grade teacher, so she brought so much to us growing up.”
Passion lit up in their voices that many readers can recognize within themselves, especially if this love for reading stems from childhood, as it has for Abby and Maggie.
“We’ve always just been readers and wanted to share that love with other people, especially children who come into the store,” they added, pledging to have an exceptional children’s section. “We want to pass that on to other people so that they can also experience that joy.”
Growing up in a family that moved often, the sisters say that bookstores were always “that home away from home.”
“We would go to different bookstores everywhere we lived or the places that we traveled, and we just loved the stories that they brought and getting to find a new book that you loved,” Maggie, 26, recalled.
The for-sale sign outside 142 Main Street North caught Maggie’s eye at the right time. The two sisters were finishing graduate school and were at a crossroads as to what to do next.
“It was really just us deciding that we wanted to chase the dream to open a bookshop that will hopefully be a home away from home for other people in Southbury,” they said.
In the location of the former local furniture store, Stockbridge & Berry, the renovated and freshly painted storefront is now stocked with mostly books and other items like games, puzzles, and greeting cards.
For its opening weekend, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., this Saturday and Sunday, the bookstore is offering giveaways and a chance to win gift cards to the shop.
“Hopefully when you come in, you feel the comfort and the peaceful energy in the shop,” Abby, 29, shared. “Books provide that quiet comfort that you need, especially when you’re very busy and have a lot of things going on.”
The co-owners say that the Little Fox Bookshop will make books more accessible and also serve as a community hub, hosting book clubs, author events, and children’s story times.
“We also have a Little Free Library in the back because purchasing a new book is a luxury, and we want to ensure everyone is able to have a book in their hand,” they said. “We want everyone to walk out with a book, mug, puzzle, or game.”
The two also shared that they are planning on expanding to a back patio for outdoor events.
And when their noses aren’t in a book, their ears are to the ground, the sisters say.
“We spend so much time reading for ourselves and following what people enjoy,” they said.
It was just the other day, they recall, when a local customer told them about an upcoming release he was excited about, and the book was then ordered for the shop.
“We have our ear to the ground to curate specifically for Southbury and surrounding areas like Woodbury and Oxford, in a way larger chain stores or online retailers cannot,” they added.
Their excitement for the bookshop’s opening weekend was palpable.
“Maggie and I are sisters and co-owners, but our older sister, brother-in-law, and parents have helped us so much every step of the way,” Abby said. “This is truly a family business, and we’re excited to open the doors, grow our family, and welcome everyone into the space we’ve worked so hard on.”
The Little Fox Bookshop, at 142 Main Street North, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for Friday (10-5) and Sunday (9-6).
