Spotlight on All Good Books

On April 23, two amazing things happened for All Good Books in Columbia, SC: they hosted author Percival Everett, who grew up in Columbia, and they received a certification as a B Corp, making them, according to the B Lab website, the first independent, brick-and-mortar bookstore in the U.S. to gain the certification. They are just the eighth business in the state of South Carolina to earn B Corp status.

B Corp certification distinguishes businesses that balance profit with a broader social purpose. The average first-time score for businesses seeking B Corp certification is 50, and All Good Books achieved a score of 80.5 based on the store’s performance in four areas: customers and community, governance, workers, and environment.

All Good Books is a community hub that serves coffee, tea, beer, and wine and sells literature from every genre around the world, with more than 10,000 books on hand. The store opened in March 2023 and has been growing ever since. They regularly partner with local community organizations to host events and book clubs, including the local library, three local colleges, the public school district, and private schools. The store’s mission is to spread the joy of books and to serve as a community hub.

The mayor of Columbia chimed in about the achievement, “This recognition is a point of pride for the entire Columbia community. All Good Books has set a powerful example of what it means to pair purpose with entrepreneurship, showing that businesses here can succeed while also investing in people, place, and opportunity.”

You can follow All Good Books on Instagram at @all_good_books and visit their website at https://allgoodbooks.com/.