He liked it so much that the next year he opened his own store in Portland, taking over a defunct auto dealership. When Walter began mixing in new books with the used, Michael thought his father was nuts. But it worked. They have a price choice, so they can save some money. While such a large, independent bookstore might do well in many communities, Michael Powell allows as how the very nature of Portland, population 641,000, is a factor in his success.
People feel comfortable here.
There's good transportation. The city works well. And in a town with a large middle class and fairly high education levels that in recent years has twice been noted by Fortune as a top city for doing business, there are plenty of readers. And then there's the weather. In a typical year, Portland experiences 154 days of rain.