SINGAPORE: The two remaining MPH bookstores in Singapore are slated to close in July and September.

The last day of operations for the Raffles City outlet is Jul 28, and the moving out sale will go on until then. The store at Parkway Parade will close after Sep 1.



Ms Ivy Tan, MPH's general manager of business development, cited high rental costs as the main reason for the closures. She added, however, that the company is looking for a new store location.

"We are currently undergoing some restructuring and streamlining our resources to make way for new business initiatives," she said on Friday (Jul 12).

"The primary focus will be centered on offering convenience and providing a better shopping experience to our customers. This new outlet will be a preview to some of the plans that we have in the pipeline."

Current employees will be redeployed to the new outlet, Ms Tan told CNA, but said MPH could not reveal the location of the new store yet as negotiations are under way.





According to its website, MPH Bookstores was established in Melaka in 1815 before it moved to Singapore in 1890, with the primary objective of printing literature.



Its former flagship bookstore at Stamford Road, housed in an iconic red-brick building, closed in 2002.

"Despite the bleak outlook that the book industry may appear to be facing right now, we are confident that bookstores will continue to be relevant," said Ms Tan.

