Chapters Bookstore to Close in early 2022

JupiterKid

I’m sure a few of you in here had heard last week that very sad news that Chapters bookstore on Parnell Street, a regular fixture on the retail mix in the city centre, is to shut its doors early next year in response to deteriorating sales.

https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-figures-just-didnt-stack-up-chapters-owner-on-closing-its-doors-1270793

Chapters was a shop I could lose myself in for hours on end reading and browsing their superb selection of both new and second hand books and although I know that it is easier to order a book online from Amazon, there is something about a bookshop that has always appealed to me.

Anyone else lamenting the impending loss of Chapters? Any particular memories of the place?

endacl

I’m still lamenting the loss of Chapters on Middle Abbey St, and I was late to the game there...

With any luck we’ll get a fine new hotel on the site. We need more of those...

To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would miss Chapters. If more people actually bought books rather than browse for hours, they might have remained open.

Libraries are important

fritzelly

William admits they were slow to move the business online, which could also be a factor.

"We started to try... we even got a digital grant from the Enterprise Ireland [sic], but we just didn't do it in time.

I'm surprised they didn't close down a long time ago, using the pandemic is too much a common excuse for a failing business - it just exacerbated a failing business model

Wishbone Ash

I used to find some little gems when they were in Abbey Street but that seem to disappear when they moved to Parnell Street,

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118126155#Comment_118126155

The "browse for hours" generally turned in to a three figure purchase.

The chaos of the Abbey Street store was appealing but I always found it easier to find stuff in Parnell Street.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118129299#Comment_118129299

I get that and I am sorry if it sounded like I was addressing people who actually bought books, but the reality is that most people who went into chapters and sat on their chairs and read a book, were not helping the business.

It was a glorified library

New Home

I went in more than once with backpacks with wheels so I could fill them with books without breaking my back and I'd often have an additional bag on top. Unfortunately I'm not based in Dublin any more, but when I was, I'd have been in at least twice a week. Most of the books I own were bought there. One of my friends, to whom I lent books in the past, said she didn't need to keep a note of which books were mine to return them, she just needed to look at the Chapters tags/price stickers.

They had a huge selection, they were great with the orders, the prices were great, the second hand floor had gems in it for a pittance. Often there were books that could have been on the ground floor only a few days before, they looked completely new.

I'm mourning its loss even before it's actually gone.

Vestiapx

Chapters let you start a book a d then you'd buy it. Thier model is correct but the price sensitivity of publisher - Amazon - end user against publisher -easons- bookshops-enduser could only be fixed by the publishers selling at a rebate to the bookshops .

Tomorrow I'm gonna go to a bricks and mortar sholto try on jeans which I will buy on Amazon because they will be €52 on Amazon or €99 in the shop

It's not my fault and I'd buy in the shop for 110% but that's €58 not €99

New Home

The difference in price is also due to how Amazon treat their slave-like employees and to the scale of their business. If more people went to actual shops, the prices would drop there, too.

I've often found hardbacks in Chapters for less than a fiver.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118129932#Comment_118129932

It is your fault in fairness. You choose to buy cheaper. That's not a bad thing. I do the same myself. But you own your responsibility. You don't care how ethical your jeans (in this instance) are made. You just want them cheap. Probably results in some kids stiching your jeans together in horrendous conditions. But that's reality.

Glenomra

Living in the country and considering a trip to chapters clearance sale. Now that they have restocked their shelves can anyone advise whether there's much of interest left. Particularly interested in Irish remainers. Thanks in advance.

pauliebdub

They had lots of great books at low prices I'm very sad to see them so. It looks like they have been winding down for a while as they never reopened the upstairs section after the pandemic.

pauliebdub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118126155#Comment_118126155

That was the problem, they didn't sell a huge amount of books and had no online presence for click and collect. They often had the same books on tables for months at a time. I would think you'd have to sell a huge volume of cheap books at a fiver to make much money

vafankillar

just to be clear, bookshops have been one of the few industry that haven't been dramatically affected by amazon & online shops. bookshops in ireland reportly made record sales last year despite the pandemic & the year before chapters made a profit something like €250,000. the owner is in retirement age & apparently nobody in his family is interested in keeping the business going. maybe it might have been kept going but it also looks like there have been complications with where they rent & increases, so that probably helped push over the edge.

bit silly seeing so many people going for the old man shaking their first at the internet response

Glenomra

I think that the owner of Chapters is playing a 'blinder'. A 5 month closure, with priceless publicity, coinciding with Christmas and New Year sales. Crowds queuing to get in. My estimate, probably on the low side with an Average of 15,000 euro daily sales should see him clear a million euro profit by date of closure. Then a reinvention as he opens another Chapters in an out of town location with plenty of parking. Some business 'deal'..

NIMAN

Yeah, he even got on to LiveLine for a bit of free publicity from RTE.

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118202350#Comment_118202350

Better to do that than to pull a "Clery's" or a "Debenham's".

Phil.x

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118202350#Comment_118202350

Didn't they have a massive place in blanchardstown years back, or was that a different place with a starbucks or similar upstairs.

patspost

That was an American place in Blanch, out near where the Lidl is.

Books rUs or some such.

Forget the name of it, but I did buy a few books there.

It was a shame it closed.

odyssey06

They need to catalogue the stock, get it up on ABE Books or some marketplace like that.

They could setup a small location in town \ easily accessed location for people to come in with books to sell to them.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118202480#Comment_118202480

Borders. Chain is gone globally now.

New Home

So, did they actually close, then? I saw somewhere they were due to go on the 31st of January.

Gloomtastic!

Yeah, closed on Monday 6pm.

New Home

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

odyssey06

Reopening Friday...

In a statement this afternoon, it was announced that two former directors of Gamestop Ireland, Kevin Neary and Michael Finucane, would be taking over the business and reopening the doors later this week.

https://www.thejournal.ie/chapters-bookstore-to-reopen-5704533-Mar2022/

KevRossi

Yeah, I think they knew all along what they were doing. They shut it down the correct way with a load of publicity. The usual merchants were fawning over them on Twitter; 'part of Dublin', 'no culture left here', 'I spent every waking hour in there', etc. etc . etc.

It was an odd place; a huge amount of second hand books but no online sales. A bizarre choice in todays world. No cafe either, it would prbably make them a few bob. The premises is worth some amount of money, but I'm not sure if they own it or not.

Will be interesting to see if it stays the same or if it gets a revamp. Most of the staff were fine, though there was one thoroughly ignorant pryck working there.

I hope it succeeds.

vafankillar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118752096#Comment_118752096

know exactly who you're talking about lol.

i can't see why it wouldn't succeed, was making fairly handsome profits already & the pretend shut-down will do it a world of good i assume

odyssey06

Chapters will be opening a "pop up" store on Liffey Street.

https://twitter.com/chaptersbooks/status/1712408741776114070