Call it the plot twist of the year. After announcing the upcoming closure of the beloved NBC Stationery & Gifts at Raffles City – much to the despair of devoted fans – Japanese bookstore group Books Kinokuniya has revealed that it will be opening a brand new outlet, within the very same mall, on July 18, 2025.
Kinokuniya will not be occupying the former premises of its sister brand NBC. Instead, the bookstore will occupy the space previously held by Challenger on Level 3 of Raffles City Shopping Centre.
Spanning 3,433 sq ft, the new outlet offers a wide range of book genres, alongside exclusive stationery from Matsuo Miyuki and more. You'll also find rare Pickles the Frog merchandise that are only available at this location. Additionally, the store will host exciting events including mascot meet-and-greets with characters including Smiski and Moomin.
Concurrently, Books Kinonkuniya at Takashimaya is downsizing to make space for a café, but the good news is is that some of its book collection, along with its iconic navy blue shelves, will be migrating over to the new outlet at City Hall.
This news offers avid readers a glimmer of hope in the face of a dwindling book scene in Singapore. The island’s very last Times Bookstore at Holland Road closed for good last year, and this was subsequently followed by the closure of Epigram Coffee Bookshop at SAM. While Epigram Books continues to operate online, it has no intention to continue running a physical store.
In the meantime, check out our compilation of the best bookstores in Singapore which includes many smaller, independently run names.
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