Kinokuniya to downsize Ngee Ann City store, vacant space used for new cafe & more

Japanese bookstore chain Books Kinokuniya will be downsizing its Singapore main store at Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Ngee Ann City.

A spokesman from Toshin Development Singapore, who manages the speciality stores area of Takashimaya, told The Straits Times that the vacated space will house a new cafe, amongst others.

According to Kinokuniya's website, its Singapore main store currently occupies 38,000 sq ft on the fourth floor of Takashimaya and carries over 500,000 titles from all over the world.

In addition to books and magazines, the bookstore also sells stationery, collectable toys, figurines, and games, amongst others.

However, the Toshin Development spokesman did not reveal how much the bookstore will be downsized in its statement, reported ST.

Kinokuniya 'doing some shifting', 'relocating books'

As of 11pm on Feb. 17, Kinokuniya has yet to release an official statement on its main store's upcoming downsizing on its social media pages.

However, in a Jan. 22 TikTok video, Kinokuniya showed several empty shelves at its main store, including those under "Kinokuniya Picks", "Law", and "Food & Drinks".

In the video caption, Kinokuniya reassured its customers that the books were "not gone" but relocated to new shelf locations.

"We are doing some shifting and relocating a bunch of books to new shelves, so they may be hard to find on your own. Please don't hesitate to ask our staff for help finding your books," wrote Kinokuniya.

@kinokuniya_singapore This is friendly PSA in case any of you guys have problems locating the books you want at our main store! we're doing some shifting and relocating a bunch of books to new shelves so they may be hard to find on your own, pls don't hesitate to ask our staff for help finding your books! #kinokuniya #kinokuniyasg #booktok #books #bookshop #bookstore ♬ eredeti hang – Griffins4U - Griffins4U

Customers surprised by empty shelves

Despite Kinokuniya's notice, the empty shelves at its main store still took some visitors by surprise.

In a Feb. 5 post, a Xiaohongshu user posted several photos of the bookstore, which showed some shelves under "Psychology and Self-help (Chinese)" and "Chinese manga" being emptied.

Likewise, a TikToker said in a Feb. 15 video that her heart "dropped" when she saw roles of empty shelves at the bookstore, adding that it felt like "the end of the world".

According to her video, the shelves that were empty included those under "Religion", "Local Literature", and "Science Fiction".

@candidcuisine my heart dropped 💔 jk kinokuniya is just reshelving 😉 #singapore #tiktoksg ♬ original sound - 𝐂𝚮𝚨𝐑⚡︎

Photos taken by a Mothership reader who visited the bookstore at around 5pm on Feb. 17 also showed shelves under "Drama", "Philosophy", and "Asia" being emptied.

Kinokuniya 'a key anchor tenant': Toshin Development

According to ST, Kinokuniya decided to downsize after rental negotiations with Toshin Development.

In a statement, a Toshin Development spokesman said it would like to reassure customers that the bookstore remains "a key anchor tenant".

According to him, Kinokuniya's decision is part of its "continued commitment to providing an enriching retail experience".

"The store is undergoing a space reconfiguration to refine its book collection while incorporating a lifestyle element," read the statement.

The "transformation", which includes the addition of a new cafe, will offer customers "a refreshed and immersive environment that complements the bookstore's offerings," said the spokesman.

ST reported that the cafe will fall under a different brand and is expected to be open for business by June 2025.

Mothership has reached out to Books Kinokuniya for comments.

Troubling times for bookstores in Singapore

Kinokuniya's decision to downsize its main store came years after it closed down its Liang Court branch in 2019 and its JEM mall branch over "slow sales and increased rental costs" in 2022.

Since then, several other brands have shut down their bookstores, including Popular, which closed its Marine Parade branch in 2023 due to rising costs of rent and labour.

Times Bookstores, which was founded in 1978, closed down all three outlets in Singapore in 2024.

Prior to the closures, the company reportedly faced weak sales, low foot traffic, increased rent, and higher printing costs, amongst others.

Top images via kinokuniya_singapore & candidcuisine/TikTok