Bags and boxes litter the floor in a darkened room. During the night of December 29 to 30, a copper pipe burst in the Page et Plume bookstore, Place de la Motte. Nearly 1,800 books were unfortunately damaged during the flood, which occurred in part of the bookstore.
“The firefighters quickly intervened and found the pipe in question. The latter was not sufficiently insulated from the frost and gave way due to the cold. But in our misfortune, we are lucky that the disaster did not occur when the store was open, nor just before the holidays, when activity is high,” laments the manager, Sébastien Lavy.
Customer and publisher support
In the meantime, the store closed its doors on Monday, December 30, while a solution was found to reconfigure the bookseller. The flooded area was closed to the public to ensure the safety of customers. The damaged books were placed in bags, awaiting the passage of insurance experts.
“We placed the cash register in the reception area and had to re-establish a sense of circulation to cope with the crowds, particularly when the flows are greater on Fridays and Saturdays. This disrupts habits, but customers are understanding,” assures Sébastien Lavy.
Some customers even returned to their favorite bookstore to buy books in support. “I also received messages of support from publishing houses and authors. This feels good, because it’s never easy. We had to reassure customers, but also staff, by offering them a work tool that remains functional,” confides Sébastien Lavy.
In the meantime, the financial loss amounts to almost €20,000. What remains is the furniture to be changed and the work to be carried out for a total of around tens of thousands of euros.
