Latest news with #BasheerGraphicBooks
AsiaOne
14-05-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
'A new chapter begins': 8 local indie bookshops unite to launch one-stop online platform, Lifestyle News
Indie bookstores in Singapore — from Epigram Coffee Bookshop to The Moon — have faced their fair share of challenges in recent years, leaving local book lovers with fewer places to discover new reads. But things might be looking up with the launch of a new one-stop online platform that unites eight independent local bookshops. The eight participating bookshops are Basheer Graphic Books, City Book Room, Epigram Bookshop, Nurul Anwar Bookstore, Sea Breeze Books, Thryft, Union Book and Wardah Books. Launched on Wednesday (May 14), the site consolidates the inventories of these bookshops, providing a uniquely curated and accessible catalogue of more than 40,000 titles to choose from. This ranges from historical fiction and poetry to non-fiction subgenres such as religion and philosophy, among others. On May 2, introduced itself to the public with its first Instagram post. The in-photo caption read: "A new chapter begins on May 14." The idea for took root during a gathering of local independent booksellers in 2024, and a shared vision of collaboration then followed. describes itself as "an act of radical cooperation" with the belief that bookshops can thrive and "be stronger" when working together. How it works features a user-friendly interface with straightforward filters and drop-down menus. Shoppers can decide to browse by genres or bookshops and once a book is selected, they can add it directly to their cart. If the title is stocked by multiple bookshops, they have the option to choose which bookshop they want to support. Orders above $150 qualify for free delivery, regardless of how many bookshops are involved. Otherwise, a flat rate of $5.90 applies per order. At the time of writing, does not offer international shopping. AsiaOne has reached out to for more information. [[nid:717071]] amierul@
CNA
13-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
8 Singapore indie bookstores join forces to launch Bookshop.sg, a one-stop site for book lovers
Book lovers, rejoice – there's a new way to support your favourite independent bookstores in Singapore. which launches Wednesday (May 14), is a one-stop online shopping platform that brings together eight independent local bookstores, allowing readers to browse and purchase books from all of them in one place, without the need to visit each store in person or to hop between different websites. The eight participating bookshops are: Epigram Books, Wardah Books, City Book Room, Union Book, Sea Breeze Books, Nurul Anwar Bookstore, Basheer Graphic Books and Thryft. will allow readers to explore a wide selection of titles, from local literary fiction and graphic design to Malay books and titles on religion and spirituality, among many others. So, how does it work? Let's say you're looking for The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei, To The Last Gram by Shreya Davies, or Why Palestine? Reflections From Singapore by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah – all recent popular titles by Singaporean authors. Or perhaps you're not sure what to look for, but you're interested in either a book about historical fiction or an international bestseller on mental health. You can simply search for a title or browse through the various book categories available on the site and purchase. The platform runs on an artificial intelligence (AI) system similar to what thrift store Thryft uses for its own secondhand store. Browsing, checkout and payment are handled seamlessly on while logistics are managed on the backend. Orders above S$150 qualify for free shipping, even if your books are from multiple bookstores. Otherwise, a flat delivery fee of S$5.90 applies. A SHARED PURPOSE FOR LOCAL BOOKSTORES For the booksellers involved, this isn't just about sales or visibility, it's also about the potential the collaboration can bring. 'This partnership shows the many creative ways bookshops here are bringing great reads to the masses,' said Eddie Lim, Thryft's co-founder and CEO. Ho TingXuan, Thryft's retail manager and project manager of added: 'With this platform, we hope to spotlight and grow Singapore's reading culture.' With its slogan 'Singapore's indie bookshops, in this together,' the platform also aims to encourage participating bookstores to collaborate further. Tan Waln Ching, director of City Book Room, a bookstore and publisher at Joo Chiat Road that specialises in Chinese books, said: 'With this first collaboration, all the publishers, booksellers, readers and writers can soon come together and discuss, brainstorm, share our challenges and think of solutions.' Ibrahim Tahir, director of Wardah Books, an Islamic bookshop in Kampong Glam, echoed the sentiment. 'The platform is secondary,' he said. 'The primary goal is the cooperation among booksellers that this platform enables. It moves us away from the ruthless competitive model of capitalism. 'Once we realise that we can have a unity of purpose, we can do many other things for the reading scene here.' is launching with eight stores, but the team hopes to welcome more independent bookstores and publishers based in Singapore in time.
