Advertisement

Bookshop Boffins buck closing trend

In the era of online behemoth Amazon, e-readers and free delivery, news of another independent bookshop shutting its doors hardly merits a story.

But news of a bricks-and- mortar bookshop not only holding its own but also expanding is enough to raise eyebrows.

Enter Boffins Books - award-winning specialist bookseller that has just signed a deal to move from its Hay Street home of 25 years to a bigger store on William Street. The relocation will include a move into adult and children's fiction to complement the technical and specialist stock for which it is known.

Co-founder Bill Liddelow said he and long-time business partner Lou Pontarolo believed the collapse of major book chains had left a gap in the market.

"Although we've done very well with the non-fiction and selling a lot of things other shops don't, we feel there's very much a gap there in fiction and children's books to present different things and to give people a choice," Mr Liddelow said. "Perth's a busy, growing city now and needs more than one major bookshop."

He said the expansion would give them space for more author signings, talks and poetry readings. The Hay Street store will close this month and the new store will open next month.

Boffins is bucking a trend in which a swag of bookshops, including Dymocks in Fremantle, Collins in Innaloo and Floreat Forum, and Discount Book World in the city have closed.