Bay Area book retailer Books Inc. files for Chapter 11; closing store
Except for the Berkeley store which will close on Feb. 9, all other Books Inc. locations will remain in operation pending court approval of the company’s proposed reorganization plan, which will seek to consolidate the number of physical retail stores.
The BooksInc.net website will continue to operate and fulfill orders as normal and the retailer’s Frequent Reader loyalty program will continue without interruption.
Books Inc.’s bankruptcy filing comes as an analysis of holiday shopper behavior from Nov. 24 to Dec. 28 from AI-based insights platform Pass_by indicates that bookstores are making something of a comeback. Bookstores were the top retail category during that period by spend (up 13.29%), with overall data showing holiday shoppers spending more during fewer visits to stores.
In another good sign for bookstores, the leading brick-and-mortar retailer in the space, Barnes & Noble, is adding to its store fleet in 2025.
[READ MORE: Report: Barnes & Noble to open 60 stores in 2025]