Popular Taiwanese Chain Stationery Store Branch Announces Closure! 21-Year Legacy Ends, Full Store Clearance Sale Dates Revealed

Residents and book lovers in New Taipei’s Shuanghe area (Zhonghe and Yonghe) are mourning the loss of another beloved bookstore. Major Taiwanese bookstore chain Kinshodo (Kingstone) recently announced on its official Facebook page that the Zhonghe Global Mall branch, which has served the community for 21 years, will officially close on August 31, 2024. Notably, this marks the third physical store closure within just one month, sparking shock and sadness among local residents, many of whom lament that Kinshodo has now completely disappeared from the Shuanghe region.

In an official announcement titled "21 Years of Companionship, Thank You for Being With Us," Kinshodo confirmed the closure of the Zhonghe Global Mall branch on August 31, 2024. Since opening 21 years ago, the store has been affectionately known as a "castle of stories" for countless local families, nurturing generations of readers from their first picture book to adulthood. With its mission complete, this 21-year journey is now coming to an end.

To thank loyal customers, Kinshodo is holding a special clearance sale before closing. All books and merchandise (including stationery) will be offered at 79% of original prices. Additionally, customers spending over NT$1,000 will receive NT$100 in coupons, and selected backlist books will be available at a special rate of 6 books for NT$500.

Local netizens who grew up with the store have flooded the comments with nostalgic messages: "I’ve been coming here since 2005 when it was on the 2nd floor—I was a university student back then." "Can’t believe it’s been 21 years—I was just an elementary school student when it opened, and now I’m a mom." "This Kinshodo was always packed, with long checkout lines, and the book selection was excellent. So sad it’s closing." "Another tear of an era. I used to buy books here and read them at the in-store tables. The Banqiao Zhuangjing branch closed in January this year." "So it couldn’t survive after all..." "Physical bookstores are disappearing... sigh" "Truly a tear of our times."

Three stores closed in one month! Store closures sweep Greater Taipei, locals lament: "Now we have to cross the bridge to Dingzhou Road"

The retail sector’s restructuring is accelerating. Before the Zhonghe Global Mall branch announced its August 31 closure, Kinshodo had already declared the closures of its Xindian branch in New Taipei City and its key Taipei location, the National Taiwan University (NTU) branch, on June 21 and June 30, respectively.

This means the Zhonghe Global Mall branch is the third physical store Kinshodo has shut down within a single month. Adding the Banqiao Zhuangjing branch, which closed in January, Kinshodo’s flagship stores in New Taipei City have been systematically downsizing. Local residents in Shuanghe now point out that all Kinshodo branches in Zhonghe and Yonghe have vanished. The nearest remaining physical store is now the Dingzhou Road branch in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District, requiring an inter-county commute.

Looking back at Taiwan’s chain bookstore history, Kinshodo once led the market, operating over 100 stores at its peak and even expanding overseas with two international branches. However, with the rapid evolution of the digital age and changing reading habits, consumer book-buying behavior has undergone structural shifts. More and more customers now prefer online bookstores, which offer deeper discounts and allow stacking of various coupons, creating a double squeeze on high-operating-cost physical stores. The closure of the Zhonghe Global Mall branch once again highlights the severe challenges traditional bookstores face in adapting to digital transformation.