It’s the end of an era – Times Bookstores will be ceasing operations in Singapore completely after 46 years, with the impending closure of their last surviving outlet at Cold Storage Jelita (Holland Road) happening this coming weekend.
Those of us who grew up before the digital era would have fond memories of browsing through the local bookstore chain’s seemingly never-ending shelves. Some of their more popular outlets were previously located at Orchard Road, namely at Paragon and Centrepoint. The latter was a sprawling outlet of 8,000 square feet, and used to be one of the largest bookstores in Singapore. Unfortunately, it closed its doors in 2019, with other outlets eventually meeting the same sad fate over the next few years.
Most recently, Times Bookstores also quietly shuttered its Plaza Singapura and Waterway Point stores in February 2024.
A bittersweet goodbye post on Times Bookstores' Instagram page reads: “After decades of creating magical memories and sharing countless stories, the time has come to close the final chapter of Times Bookstores. It has been our greatest honour to be a part of your reading journey. Thank you for letting us fill your lives with the wonder of books and the joy of imagination.”
Times Bookstore at Holland Road will be having its last day of operations on September 22, Sunday. Till then, you can still drop by to soak in the nostalgia and bid your goodbyes – and perhaps even pick up something from its moving out sale, where books, stationery, and gift items are going at heavily slashed prices at up to 80 percent off.
If you’re a traditional bibliophile who’s still into collecting physical hardcovers and paperbacks, do check out our list of best bookstores in Singapore – these remaining book havens, a majority of which are small local businesses, could sure use your support.
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