Times Bookstores
A Singapore-origin bookstore chain operating as part of the Times Publishing Group.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Times Bookstores is a bookstore retail chain associated with Singapore's Times Publishing Group, a publishing and media business within Fraser and Neave. The business developed around the sale of books and related reading and writing products, including magazines and stationery. Its origins are linked to the establishment of the Times Publishing Group in Singapore in 1978, although the available reference material does not identify a separate founding date or individual founder for the retail chain itself. The brand historically operated in Singapore and expanded beyond the country through selected overseas locations. At its Singapore peak, Times Bookstores had outlets in shopping centres and retail complexes including Tampines One, Waterway Point, Plaza Singapura, Paragon, The Centrepoint, and Cold Storage Jelita. These locations positioned the chain as a general-interest bookstore retailer serving mall shoppers, families, students, readers, and customers seeking stationery and periodicals alongside books. Times Bookstores also entered Indonesia. A store opened at Lippo Karawaci Lippo Supermall in 2008, while a second location at Universitas Pelita Harapan was later converted to the Books and Beyond format in 2012. The Lippo Supermall branch subsequently closed. These changes indicate that the brand's overseas presence was selective and subject to conversion or withdrawal rather than developing into a large Indonesian network. The Singapore business contracted substantially during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Several outlets closed between 2019 and 2024, leaving the Cold Storage Jelita store as the final Singapore location. That outlet ceased operations on 22 September 2024, ending the brand's Singapore retail presence after decades associated with the country's bookstore landscape. The brand nevertheless remained active through a store at The Venetian Macao, which is identified in the reference material as its current operating location. Times Bookstores is best understood as a specialist retail brand within a broader publishing group rather than as an independent publicly listed company. Its proposition has centred on accessible physical retail for books, magazines, stationery, and related products, with locations commonly situated in established shopping malls. The available material does not provide reliable information about current store formats, e-commerce operations, revenue, management, or a detailed product catalogue.
History
Times Bookstores is a Singapore-origin bookstore chain linked to the Times Publishing Group, which is described as having begun in Singapore in 1978 and operating as a unit of Fraser and Neave. The available sources do not distinguish a separate incorporation date for the retail brand from the founding date of the wider publishing group, nor do they identify an individual founder. The chain's retail model focused on physical bookstores carrying general-interest books, magazines, and stationery. Its Singapore outlets were generally located in established shopping centres and retail destinations. At its largest reported footprint, the chain operated at Tampines One, Waterway Point, Plaza Singapura, Paragon, The Centrepoint, and Cold Storage Jelita. These stores gave the brand a visible presence in Singapore's mall-based retail environment and served a broad customer base rather than a narrowly specialist readership. Times Bookstores also pursued limited expansion outside Singapore. In Indonesia, it opened a branch at Lippo Karawaci Lippo Supermall in 2008. A further location at Universitas Pelita Harapan was subsequently changed to the Books and Beyond format in 2012, while the Lippo Supermall branch later closed. The available reference does not document the reasons for those changes or provide evidence of a large continuing Indonesian network. The Singapore network declined over time. Multiple stores closed between 2019 and 2024, leaving the Cold Storage Jelita branch as the last Singapore outlet. That store closed on 22 September 2024, marking the end of the brand's Singapore operations. The closure represented a major reduction in the chain's historical footprint, but it did not make the brand wholly defunct: the reference material identifies one currently operating Times Bookstore at The Venetian Macao. The surviving Macau operation means that Times Bookstores remains an active retail brand, although its present scale is considerably smaller than its former Singapore network. The supplied sources do not establish whether the Macau store is directly operated by the same corporate entity, provide current leadership information, or describe the chain's online sales, financial performance, or future expansion plans.
- 2024
Singapore retail operations end
[1]The final Singapore store, located at Cold Storage Jelita, closed on 22 September 2024.
- 2019
Singapore network begins reported contraction
[1]Times Bookstores began losing Singapore outlets during a period in which several branches closed between 2019 and 2024.
- 2012
Universitas Pelita Harapan outlet changes format
[1]The Times Bookstore location at Universitas Pelita Harapan was converted to the Books and Beyond format.
- 2008
Entry into Indonesia
[1]Times Bookstore opened a branch at Lippo Karawaci Lippo Supermall in Indonesia.
- 1978
Times Publishing Group begins in Singapore
[1]The Times Publishing Group, the corporate group associated with Times Bookstores, is described as having started in Singapore.
Products and positioning
A general-interest bookstore and stationery retailer associated with the Times Publishing Group, historically focused on mall-based physical stores.
Books
Books
Books formed the core of the Times Bookstores assortment. The chain operated as a general-interest bookstore rather than being identified with one narrow subject area, serving everyday readers and mall-based customers. The available reference does not provide a reliable breakdown by genre, publisher, language, or current inventory.
Periodicals
Magazines
Magazines were among the related reading products sold by Times Bookstores. They complemented the chain's book offer and supported its role as a general reading retailer. No source material specifies the magazine titles, categories, or distribution arrangements carried by particular outlets.
Writing and school supplies
Stationery
Stationery was another established product category in the Times Bookstores assortment. Its inclusion broadened the chain's appeal to students, families, office users, and customers shopping for writing or school supplies. The supplied sources do not identify specific stationery brands or product ranges.
Brand decisions
2024
Withdraw from Singapore physical retailStrategyBackground
After multiple Singapore outlet closures between 2019 and 2024, the Cold Storage Jelita store remained the brand's final Singapore location.
Action taken
Times Bookstores closed the Cold Storage Jelita outlet on 22 September 2024.
Aftermath
The closure ended Times Bookstores' Singapore retail operations, while the brand continued to have a reported store at The Venetian Macao.
2012
Convert the Universitas Pelita Harapan outlet to Books and BeyondStrategyBackground
The Times Bookstore location at Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia was changed to the Books and Beyond format.
Action taken
The outlet ceased operating under the Times Bookstore name and adopted the Books and Beyond identity.
Aftermath
The conversion reduced the number of locations operating under the Times Bookstores brand in Indonesia. The source does not explain the commercial rationale or subsequent performance.
Recent events
- 2024
Times Bookstores closes its last Singapore outlet at Cold Storage Jelita[1]
Other
The Cold Storage Jelita outlet ceased operations on 22 September 2024, ending Times Bookstores' Singapore retail operations after the closure of other outlets in preceding years.
- 2012
Indonesian Times Bookstore location converted to Books and Beyond[1]
Other
The Times Bookstore location at Universitas Pelita Harapan was converted to the Books and Beyond format.
- 2008
Times Bookstore opens at Lippo Karawaci Lippo Supermall[1]
Other
Times Bookstore opened a location at Lippo Karawaci Lippo Supermall in Indonesia. The branch later closed.
Sources1 sources
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