RELEASED 9 June 2025
Seven bookshops around the country have ceased trading and closed their doors this year. While they cite mixed reasons for their respective closures, the common theme is the protracted and difficult trading environment in the Aotearoa NZ economy. Booksellers Aotearoa Association Manager Renee Rowland says, “Losing so many bookshops this year is a real blow to the book industry, but it’s a clear indication of how difficult it is to do business right now rather than a reflection of a bigger trend around books and bookstores.”
A business closure is always disappointing news, but when a bookshop closes down, it has a compounding sadness. Bookshops and booksellers are deeply connected to their communities. They are often a vibrant part of a business district and a real attraction on a high street. They foster strong interconnected relationships with locals schools, charities, organisations, book clubs, families and readers of all ages. Bookstores also support their local writers, providing them with a shelf space to sell their books. They also facilitate a critical role in keeping books visible and keeping the activity of reading popular. “Bookstores are unique places where commerce, culture, community and creativity meet: any closure of these spaces is deeply disappointing,” says Rowland.
The recent bookstore closures have affected communities in Christchurch, Tauranga, Dunedin, Waimate and Auckland. “We share the sadness of those communities who have lost their local bookshop, places of sanctuary and knowledge. Our sympathy is also with the business owners, their employees and their families, for whom this will be an incredibly difficult time,” says Rowland.
Auckland has seen the opening of three independent bookstores this year: Enamoured Books in Remuera, Karakter Books in Newmarket and Anec Dote in Mt Eden.
Despite the closures and the ongoing difficulty in running a bookshop, Rowland says bookshops are here to stay. “Creating and sharing stories is fundamental to being a human and a bookshop is a marketplace for those stories. The role of bookshops and booksellers is essential to our society: there will always be a demand for stories and books, and there will always be a space dedicated to meeting that demand.”
ENDS