Toronto used-book chain that opened its first store in 1997; its Bloor Street West superstore in the Annex, opened in 2005, adds roughly 1,000 secondhand and remaindered items a day alongside vinyl, comics and new releases.
Best for Used books, discounted new releases, academic texts, and a huge inventory
BMV Books opened its first Toronto location in March 1997, next to the since-closed World's Biggest Bookstore, as a secondhand shop that paid the public directly for used titles and supplemented its stock with publisher's overstock and remainders. A second store followed in September 1998 near Yonge and Eglinton. The Bloor Street West location - a larger-format store in the Annex neighborhood, close to downtown - opened in November 2005 and became the chain's flagship for general-interest used books. Alongside secondhand and new-release titles, the store carries DVDs, Blu-rays, vinyl records, CDs, magazines, comics and board games, and adds roughly 1,000 new items to inventory daily.
Canadian book-and-lifestyle chain founded 1996 in Toronto by Heather Reisman; became the country's largest bookseller after acquiring rival Chapters in 2001.
Best for Canadian books, new releases and lifestyle gifts
Indigo Books & Music was founded in 1996 by Heather Reisman, a Toronto entrepreneur who set out to build large-format stores mixing books with stationery, lifestyle goods, and, in many locations, a cafe. In 2001, Indigo acquired its larger rival, Chapters, combining the two chains into the biggest book retailer in Canada by store count and revenue, a position it has held since. The company is headquartered in Toronto and remains publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with Reisman continuing as CEO through much of the chain's history.
TYPE Books has operated as an independent bookshop since 2006, now with locations in Toronto's Queen West, the Junction and Forest Hill neighbourhoods. The shop offers free shipping on orders over $150.
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