Book lovers across Perth have been left devastated after a beloved bookstore announced it will close its doors after almost four decades.
Boffins Books, located on Williams St in Perth’s CBD, has been a go-to location for fresh reads since it first opened in 1989.
The two-storey bookseller has earned a reputation for its extensive range of specialised technical manuals, local history books, and hard-to-find novels.
Patrons of the store were left shocked on Thursday after the veteran retailer announced it intended to close its doors within the next three weeks.
“After 37 wonderful years serving the Perth community, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors,” Boffins Books announced in a social media post.
“From our niche beginnings in 1989 to our ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ at 88 William Street, it has been an absolute honour to be your independent bookstore.
“To our loyal customers, staff, and partners: thank you for being part of our story.”
The owners revealed the decision to close the retailer was prompted by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and less customers exploring Perth city.
“The retail landscape has shifted significantly,” the owners of the CBD store wrote in an email seen by PerthNow.
“The rise of ‘work from home’ culture in the CBD, combined with rising operational costs and a tightening economic environment, has made it increasing difficult for us to sustain our independent store front.”
The book store recently made headlines over their participation in Perth’s Global Book Crawl in late April, which encouraged avid readers to visit Boffins to earn a special passport stamp.
Readers across Perth’s suburbs were quick to share their heartbreak over the sudden announcement.
“Boffins has always been a go-to place for books in Perth and has always supported local writers and illustrators — thanks for all you have done,” one person wrote to the retailer.
“This is sad news, what a loss to Perth’s book community,” another person lamented.
Fellow Perth book store Planet Books joined the choir of comments, praising the CBD institute as “forever one of the best”.
Boffin Books’ last day of trading will be on Saturday June 6, with the owners encouraging customers and staff to visit “one last time” before doors close.
PerthNow has contacted Boffins Books for comment.
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