Indie bookstores in Singapore — from Epigram Coffee Bookshop to The Moon — have faced their fair share of challenges in recent years, leaving local book lovers with fewer places to discover new reads.
But things might be looking up with the launch of Bookshop.sg, a new one-stop online platform that unites eight independent local bookshops.
The eight participating bookshops are Basheer Graphic Books, City Book Room, Epigram Bookshop, Nurul Anwar Bookstore, Sea Breeze Books, Thryft, Union Book and Wardah Books.
Launched on Wednesday (May 14), the site consolidates the inventories of these bookshops, providing a uniquely curated and accessible catalogue of more than 40,000 titles to choose from.
This ranges from historical fiction and poetry to non-fiction subgenres such as religion and philosophy, among others.
On May 2, Bookshop.sg introduced itself to the public with its first Instagram post.
The in-photo caption read: “A new chapter begins on May 14.”
The idea for Bookshop.sg took root during a gathering of local independent booksellers in 2024, and a shared vision of collaboration then followed.
Bookshop.sg describes itself as “an act of radical cooperation” with the belief that bookshops can thrive and “be stronger” when working together.
How it works
Bookshop.sg features a user-friendly interface with straightforward filters and drop-down menus.
Shoppers can decide to browse by genres or bookshops and once a book is selected, they can add it directly to their cart.
If the title is stocked by multiple bookshops, they have the option to choose which bookshop they want to support.
Orders above $150 qualify for free delivery, regardless of how many bookshops are involved. Otherwise, a flat rate of $5.90 applies per order.
At the time of writing, Bookshop.sg does not offer international shopping.
AsiaOne has reached out to Bookshop.sg for more information.
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amierul@asiaone.com
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