Letter to the Editor
My name is Lauren and I’ve been a resident of the Brentwood area since my parents built an architectural custom home nearby in 1964! I went to nearby University High, and UCLA where I earned my Master’s Degree in Journalism.
My first apartment as a “career woman” was on Gorham, practically across the street from what was then WESTWARD HO and Marck’s Brentwood Newsstand. I went there everyday for the newspaper on my way back from my run to 26th Street and back.
Years later, my new husband and I bought a home north of San Vicente on the corner of Saltair Avenue and Saltair Place. Eventually, on that site, we built an architectural custom home designed by Ted Tanaka, AIA (who designed the light pylon landmark at LAX) which won a prestigious award for our beautiful contribution to Brentwood.
My point is, the residents of Brentwood care about their neighborhood. We are loyal, and caring. We are all still mourning Dutton Books, as we are a community of readers, and now likely customers of AMAZON. Since you are in the book business, I have a suggestion to blend AMAZON and your new acquisition of WHOLE FOODS in a way to endear yourself to your new customers and community, rather than make the enemies that your Brentwood manager already has.
Why don’t you put a NEWSSTAND like Marck’s in ALL WHOLE FOOD MARKETS? Customers could order newspapers and magazines from all over the world, pick them up there when they do their grocery shopping, as well as books ordered from AMAZON! This would be a new and valued-added offering; a natural synergy combining your new company WHOLE FOODS with AMAZON, and keep MARCK’S BRENTWOOD NEWSSTAND as the beloved landmark and neighborhood gem that it is. I’m sure Marck would love to consult as to how to set up the newsstand and magazine business in your other locations where everyone would love to have a newsstand!!!
This is the perfect “marriage” of AMAZON and WHOLE FOODS. What better than coffee and food purchased at WHOLE FOODS, picking up your online purchases, the newspaper from your home town, and magazines from the NEWSSTAND, and sitting with coffee to enjoy the neighborhood? It would become a meeting place at all your stores, where your customer could linger and get everything one would need in one place!
Don’t destroy MARCK’s BRENTWOOD NEWSSTAND! Replicate it elsewhere and build on the idea. Save our landmark, build goodwill, build your businesses, and be a good citizen supporting journalism, as you’ve done with the WASHINGTON POST!
I am happy to do whatever I can to facilitate this.
Respectfully from your neighbor,
Lauren Joy Sand
