List of bookstore chains

Last updated

This is a list of bookstore chains with brick-and-mortar locations.

Contents

In the United Kingdom and many parts of the English speaking world, they are known as "Bookshops" and "newsagents".

In American English, they are called "bookstores", or sometimes "newsstands", as they also usually carry newspapers and magazines. This list includes both current and defunct businesses, and also includes large independent bookstores that have multiple locations, but that use a different business model than most business chains.

For these lists, a chain is a bookstore with at least 4 locations.

Current


NameCountryNotes
Collins Booksellers [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Dymocks Booksellers Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Koorong Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Queensland Book Depot Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
WHSmith Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Livraria Cultura Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Archambault Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Book City Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Chapters Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Coles Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Indigo Books and Music Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Kobo eBookstore Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
McNally Robinson Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Renaud-Bray Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Joint Publishing Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Page One Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Popular Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
The Commercial Press Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Rahva Raamat [2] Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
Academic Bookstore Flag of Finland.svg  Finland (Finnish : Akateeminen Kirjakauppa, Swedish : Akademiska bokhandeln) [3]
Suomalainen Kirjakauppa Flag of Finland.svg  Finland ("The Finnish Bookstore") [4]
Fnac Flag of France.svg  France 78 stores with book departments in France, 65 in 8 other countries
Hachette Distribution Services Flag of France.svg  France
Furet du Nord Flag of France.svg  France
Hugendubel Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 34 book-department-stores
Thalia Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Weltbild Flag of Germany.svg  Germany includes Weltbild Plus, Weltbild, Weltbild best, Jokers, Wohlthat (circa 350-400 shops)
Ianos Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Eymundsson Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland
A. H. Wheeler Flag of India.svg  India
Crossword Bookstores Flag of India.svg  India
DC Books Flag of India.svg  India
Higginbotham's Flag of India.svg  India
Landmark Bookstores Flag of India.svg  India
Odyssey Flag of India.svg  India
Oxford Bookstore Flag of India.svg  India
Sapna Book House Flag of India.svg  India
Gramedia Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Gunung Agung Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Eason & Son Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Hodges Figgis Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland part of the UK Waterstone's brand
Comikaza Flag of Israel.svg  Israel former chain, still exists as a stand-alone store
Steimatzky Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Tzomet Sfarim Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Feltrinelli Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Book Off Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Books Kinokuniya Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Culture Convenience Club Flag of Japan.svg  Japan operates Tsutaya Bookstores [5]
Libro Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Yurindo Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Kyobo Book Centre Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
Young Poong Books Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
Valters un Rapa [6] Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
MPH Group Flag of Malaysia 23px.svg  Malaysia operates MPH Bookstores
myNEWS.com Flag of Malaysia 23px.svg  Malaysia
Popular Flag of Malaysia 23px.svg  Malaysia
Times Bookstores Flag of Malaysia 23px.svg  Malaysia
Fondo de Cultura Económica Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Librerias Gandhi Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 28 bookstores [7]
Librería Porrúa Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Audax Groep Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Operates Amsterdamsche Kiosk Onderneming (AKO), Bruna, and Read Shop
De Slegte Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands small independent chain
Paper Plus Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Whitcoulls Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Ferozsons Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
National Book Store Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Rex Book Store Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Empik Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Kolporter Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Livraria Bertrand Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal
Jarir Bookstore Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
Page One Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Popular Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Times Bookstores Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Exclusive Books Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Orell Füssli Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
Eslite Bookstore Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan
Asia Books Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Dokya Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Naiin Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Blackwell's Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom owned by Waterstones since 2022
Daunt Books Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Foyles Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom owned by Waterstones since 2018
The Works Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
WHSmith Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Waterstones Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Barnes & Noble Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Locations across all 50 US states (614 stores).
Barnes & Noble Education Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States former college division of B&N spun off in 2015 (760 stores).
B. Dalton Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Former large chain acquired by B&N in 1987; location now in Florida (1 store).
Bookmans Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located in Arizona (5 stores).
Books-A-Million Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Locations across 32 US states (260 stores). Also operates Bookland and 2nd & Charles.
Busboys and Poets Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located in the Washington metropolitan area (8 locations)
Deseret Book Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Utah regional chain; also operates Seagull Book.
Follett's Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Half Price Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Locations across 19 US states (116 stores).
Hudson Group Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located at airports and train stations in the United States and Canada (970 stores).
Powell's Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located in Oregon (4 stores).
Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located in Maine (9 stores)
Schuler Books & Music Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located in Michigan (4 stores).
Tattered Cover Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Located in Colorado (6 stores); acquired by B&N in 2024.

Historical

The following chains no longer operate any physical retail locations.

NameCountryNotes
Angus & Robertson Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Closed physical stores in 2011.
Borders Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia defunct
The Co-op Bookshop Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia defunct [8]
Jongno Seojeok Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea bankrupt, and name changed to Bandi & Luni's when re-opened
Fascination Books [9] Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa applied for liquidation in 2008.
Borders UK Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom defunct in December 2009
Dillons the Bookstore Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom all stores were rebranded as Waterstones in 1999
Ottakar's Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom bought out by HMV, rebranded as Waterstones in 2006
Amazon Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States physical stores closed in 2022
Borders Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States defunct 2011
Cokesbury Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States physical stores closed in 2012; continued as online retailer
Brentano's Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States acquired by Waldenbooks and merged with Borders; defunct 2011
Crown Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States defunct 2001
Encore Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States defunct 1999
Family Christian Stores Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States physical stores closed in 2017; online retailer since 2019
Hastings Entertainment Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States defunct 2016
Kroch's and Brentano's Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Chicago regional chain; defunct 1995
LifeWay Christian Resources Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States physical stores closed 2019; continued as online retailer
Media Play Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States defunct 2006
Waldenbooks Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States acquired by Kmart and merged with Borders; defunct 2011

See also

References

  1. "Collins Booksellers Australian Bookshop - Buy Books, ebooks, Kobo eReaders online". Collinsbooks.com.au. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  2. "Rahva Raamat". rahvaraamat.ee.
  3. "Akateeminen Kirjakauppa". Akateeminen.com. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  4. "nettikirjakauppa". Suomalainen.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  5. "ストアリスト". T-SITE SHOPPING - 蔦屋書店. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. "Grāmatu nams "Valters un Rapa" - grāmatu un kancelejas preču mazumtirdzniecība". Valtersunrapa.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  7. "Librerías Gandhi - Busca entre miles de Libros y Encuentra el Tuyo". Gandhi.com.mx. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  8. "The Co-op Online Bookshop | Textbook Specialist". Coop.com.au. 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  9. "Book chain closes doors: Fin24: Companies". 2011-07-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2017-08-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)