National Book Store

Philippines
May 18, 2026 8:47am CST
What is your famous bookstore in the country? Ours is the National Bookstore. When the pandemic hit, I thought this would not survive. Anyway, it did survive, but some of the staff were not able to get their job back, especially those who were delegated to gift wrapping. But I think they have already moved on. This bookstore survives post-war devastation of typhoons, fire, and many more challenges... and they even withstand the pandemic. It was founded by a couple in 1942. Just sharing, do you also have a long standing bookstore in your country?
10 people like this
11 responses
snowy
@snowy22315 (211300)
• United States
18 May
Probably the biggest chain bookstore we have here is Barnes and Noble.
3 people like this
Jimbo45
@Ineeddentures (39551)
•
18 May
Barnes and Noble is what Dianne said
2 people like this
snowy
@snowy22315 (211300)
• United States
18 May
@Ineeddentures I said it first..
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
@snowy22315 hahahaha calm down people hahahahaha
DianneN
@DianneN (254932)
• United States
18 May
Ours is Barnes and Noble, but I prefer small privately owned bookshops.
3 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
i don't know about a private bookshop, but that will be fun if I find one, that will be a great place to write, brainstorm or just read a good book. Thank you for the idea!
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
@Ineeddentures hahahaha I think you are just teasing the girls, hehehehe.
Jimbo45
@Ineeddentures (39551)
•
18 May
Barnes and Noble is what Snowy said
3 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (176332)
• United States
18 May
There were several regional book stores open here before the pandemic but most of them closed during the pandemic. The book stores that are still open are used bookstores like Hooked on Books where Pretty and I always took our used books we didn't want to keep and the store would buy them from us and give us in-store credit so we could buy more books from them. Screenshot is mine.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (385378)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 May
That's a great system if they give you a credit for your books.
1 person likes this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
Cool, we have that in here, BOOKSALE store, all of the books there are second hand, you can also trade a book there, and you can also sell them your books.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (176332)
• United States
19 May
@JudyEv I agree... At the time, they paid about half the amount the book was worth when it was new. I haven't been there since before the pandemic so I don't know if they still offer that much or not.
1 person likes this
MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (91720)
• United States
18 May
Barnes and Noble is our major bookstore. They seem to be the only one that has lasted.
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
I think their founder are good people and a good leader and mentor as well.
Traceyjayne
@Traceyjayne (12550)
• United Kingdom
18 May
Here in the UK we have Waterstones.
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
Wow! Thank you for sharing.
Jimbo45
@Ineeddentures (39551)
•
18 May
I have no idea about bookstores here. Not one springs to mind. For years of I wanted to buy a book I would buy it online
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
Cool, so you are an online person. But why there is no store in your city?
1 person likes this
Jimbo45
@Ineeddentures (39551)
•
20 May
@luisadannointed Our City is a large village lol Population 6k We have one Lidl shop and a petrol station and a few mother small shops That's it
cuttyrish
@cuttyrish (3264)
• United States
19 May
used to be my favorite place when i am still a student, NBS is like heaven.
1 person likes this
cuttyrish
@cuttyrish (3264)
• United States
19 May
@luisadannointed Yeah, i'm also guilty of that, and they have more stuff not just books, arts materials and other things. Sometimes, you say to yourself, i am just buy this, but i end up buying more
1 person likes this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
@cuttyrish Hahahahah you are also a Ninja, kidding, and an impulsive buyer too. I love buying at the national Book Store, but befiore Pandemic I try to buy more papers and notebook materials at Tutuban Divisoria.
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
SAME! Do you also like reading books in the book section that says "NO PRIVATE READING"? Sorry my bad!
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (123591)
• United States
18 May
Ours would be Barnes & Noble. It’s been around over 100 years, and grew into a national chain.
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
Cool. I think most of you are living in the same country by reading the same bookstore you guys keep mentioning here.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (158598)
• Philippines
20 May
NBS, yes same
Joanie
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
18 May
With online shopping it seems that bookstores are becoming a thing of the past, but I do love shopping at the smaller bookstores.
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
Yeah, I think so, but those who were able to adapt to the new normal were able to surpass the pandemic, like national bookstores and booksale stores, they also go online, they were able to innovate and maintian theri physical store.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (385378)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 May
We have a few bookstores that have been around forever. One is Elizabeth's Books in Fremantle.
1 person likes this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (11990)
• Philippines
19 May
Cool! Judy, I would love to see that, i hope you can create a blog about it and show us some photos, you are great in blogging those. But no pressure, if only you have time to do it that would be great.
1 person likes this