Looks like our days of browsing through books in physical stores are numbered.

MPH Bookstore which has survived for many years in Singapore, has finally decided to close its last 2 branches.

After the post-2000 bookstore boom, few bookstores came out unscathed from the influx of online e-commerce, Kindles and Netflix.

MPH Bookstore which has survived for close to 20 years in Singapore, has finally decided to close its last 2 branches in Singapore.

Raffles City’s MPH Bookstore will shutter its premises on 28 Jul, while Parkway Parade will close on 1 Sep.

A clearance sale will be held in August for the MPH Parkway Plaza, the brand shares.

Fierce competition from e-commerce

MPH Bookstore made the tough decision to close both stores due to high rental costs and “fierce competition” from “e-commerce platforms”, reports Lianhe Zaobao.

But for fans of MPH, there may still be a silver lining to this.

New bookstore location unconfirmed

MPH may consider merging both stores at one location, but Lianhe Zaobao claims that the company has “declined to disclose the location”.

Despite a lack in concrete moving plans for now, MPH won’t be leaving our sunny shores soon. They remain confident that Singaporeans will continue to support them, if they open their new branch.

Lookout for MPH bookstore clearance sales

As for now, do consider heading down to Raffles City’s store to enjoy a storewide 30% discount, while picking up stationery or top-selling novels.

There’s also a 50% clearance discount on selected products.

MPH Bookstore (Raffles City)

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-21 Raffles City Shopping Centre, S’pore 179103 Contact No: +65 63364232 Opening Hours: Mon-Sun (10am-10pm) Nearest MRT: City Hall MRT Station

MPH Bookstore (Parkway Parade)

Address: 80 Marine Parade Road, #B1-155/155C/156/157/158, S’pore 449269 Contact No: +65 63364232 Opening Hours: Mon-Sun (11am-9.30pm) Nearest MRT: Dakota MRT Station

Stay tuned for Parkway Plaza’s MPH branch and their clearance sale to be announced next month in August.

All the best to MPH in their efforts to remain strong in the face of impossible competition. We hope that future generations of locals will still be able to enjoy the incredible feeling of strolling into a store and taking in the smell of brand new books.