Bad news for Annex-dwellers: Book City is closing this Spring
Book City, the indie book chain known for its eclectic titles and great prices, will permanently close its Annex outlet in a few short months. The family-run shop—a local fixture since 1976—simply couldn’t afford to hold on to the prime Bloor Street location. General manager Ian Donker spoke to Quill & Quire about the choice to close. “We agonized over the decision, but sadly it didn’t make much economic sense to continue... Rent goes up every single year. Sales have slipped for a number of years, through no fault of the staff or our efforts.”
The shop broke the news yesterday in a tweet, and has since seen an outpouring of support from the local book community, who expressed grief, resentment and even panic:
Though the chain will continue to operate its remaining outlets on Yonge Street, the Danforth and in the Beach, the closure of its central location is sad news for the neighbourhood. If there’s a place in heaven for beloved independent book purveyors, Book City’s Annex shop is certainly there (along with Nicholas Hoare, Pages and The Book Mark). Let’s all take a brief moment of silence.
