THIS POST IS OUTDATED! VISIT THE NEWER POST ABOUT BUYING BOOKS IN SINGAPORE!
Brick-and-mortar bookshops in Singapore (as elsewhere) face high rent and stiff competition from online sellers, so they’ve been dropping like flies. The major chains and a handful independents are still scraping by.
See below for lists of:
- Book Shops at Bras Basah Complex
- Other Indie Book Shops in Singapore
- Local Sources for Children’s Books
- Local Retail Book Chains
- Local University Book Shops
- Local Online Booksellers
- International Online Booksellers
- Special Book Sales
- Person to Person Websites
Last updated 7 Feb 2021.
Book Shops at Bras Basah Complex
At this HDB complex just opposite the National Library, you can find several bookshops, including:
Basheer Graphic Books (new books on art & design)
Evernew Books (used books)
Book Point (used books)
Knowledge Books Centre (used books)
Other Indie Book Shops in Singapore
Books Actually is a literary hub located in Tiong Bahru. RETAIL SHOP HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Littered with Books is a general bookshop at Duxton Hill.
GOHD sells cheap used books as well as rare ones in Burlington Square. RETAIL SHOP HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Silver Kris Bookshop sells used books in a stall at the wet market at Marine Parade. Hours are Saturday and Sunday 12 to 7, according to the paper sign. Marine Parade market is now open after renovation but IDK if the shop is there now.
Sultana Book Store sells used books at Peace Centre. RETAIL SHOP HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Book Treasure sells books at Parklane Shopping Mall. Retail shop is no longer in the atrium. It’s in shop unit #01-31 in the same mall.
EMF Bookstore sells used books in Fusionopolis and Holland Village.
First Draft Bookstore sells books at Marina Bay Link Mall. MOVED TO 10 Anson Road, #02-66 International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Ana Book Store sells used books in Far East Plaza at Orchard.
Tango Mango is a retail shop at Tanglin Shopping Mall at Orchard selling stationery, gifts and some books.
Local Sources for Children’s Books
Woods in the Books is at Tiong Bahru.
Books Ahoy is their sister store in Forum Shopping Mall at Orchard.
Junior Page sells children’s books at Alexandra Retail Centre and online.
The Groovy Giraffe sells remaindered children’s books online.
Closetful of Books sells children’s books online.
My Greatest Child sells new children’s books in several mall locations and online.
Local Retail Book Chains
Kinokuniya is the Japanese bookstore chain that owns the biggest bookshop in Singapore (located in Ngee Ann City at Orchard), as well as a couple of smaller outlets. With a paid membership, you can get some discounts.
Times still has a number of outlets. Discount available with paid membership.
MPH Discount available with free membership. Only one outlet, at Singpost Centre.
Popular (discount available with paid membership)
Du Yi (the West Mall branch has the widest range of books)
Local University Book Shops
NUS Coop at NUS
BookHaven at NUS University Town
Booklink at various other universities
Local Online Booksellers
OO.sg is a comparison shopping site for books. DEAD
Retail chain Popular also sells online. NOPE, but there’s an app.
Retail chain Kinokuniya also sells online.
Open Trolley offers paid delivery or free pickup.
Select Books is a distributor of books about Asia.
BookWhale is dead.
LocalBooks.sg is specializes in Singaporean titles. NOPE, absorbed by Epigram.
International Online Booksellers
Amazon’s US site offers free shipping to Singapore on orders over US$125 for items eligible for their special “AmazonGlobal Saver” shipping rate. The Amazon Global Saver arrangement was discontinued with the launch of Amazon Prime Now in Singapore in December 2017. Amazon now has a Singapore site!
With a paid Amazon Prime Now Singapore membership, Singapore residents can now order from Amazon using the Prime Now app and get free international shipping on orders of SGD$60 or more. (Prime Now has been rebranded as Fresh; Prime Now subscribers get Fresh as just one part of Prime membership.)
Fishpond is an online retailer founded in New Zealand. Prices are marked in SGD (among other currencies). Shipping is free on every order.
Book Depository is an online book retailer founded in the UK. Prices are marked in SGD (among other currencies). Shipping is free on every order.
Special Book Sales
The Singapore Expo sometimes has warehouse sales organized by Penguin, MPH, and Popular. I’ve bought new and nearly new books for SG$5 to SG$10.
Singapore brick-and-mortar retail book chains and traveling booksellers often set up tables in shopping mall hallways. Sometimes the prices are very attractive. I’ve bought nearly new books for prices as low as SG$2. I don’t know of a way to figure out where the sales are going to be before they arrive.
When I worked in the MacPherson area, I used to follow signs to warehouse sales in buildings near my office.
Person to Person Websites
There are some free platforms that help individuals sell stuff to each other. Some of that stuff is books.
Craigslist (Nobody uses this now that we have Carousell)
Honorable Mention
Not a bookstore, but I found a bunch of interesting books at:
Salvation Army Praisehaven Mega Family Thrift Store
500 Upper Bukit Timah Road, S678106
Not Listed Here
- shops selling only comics or manga
- shops selling only non-English language books
- shops selling only religious books
- shops that mostly sell other stuff
- local publishers that sell their own books online
- shops that have closed permanently
… and shops that for whatever reason I don’t happen to know about.
