A beloved bookstore in a Brampton mall is preparing to close after more than five decades.

The Cole’s books store first opened in 1971, and was one of the first retailers in the Bramalea City Centre before the amalgamation of Brampton in 1974.

But after more than 50 years, the store will only be open until early September.

“After more than 53 years in our community, we regret to announce that this location will be closed effective September 5, 2026,” a sign outside the Cole’s bookstore reads.

“Our store has become a place for people to gather and be inspired. We could not have done it without our wonderful staff and our incredible customers,” the message reads. “We look forward to serving you at indigo.ca or at our other nearby locations where you’ll enjoy the same great experience.”

Photos of what the store looked like back in 1972 were posted on Facebook by a fan account of Coles, and you can see some of them here.

Brampton book lovers in search of new reads or the latest releases can visit the Indigo Spirit at Brampton Market Hall, located at 52 Quarry Edge Dr., Coles says.

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Coles is owned by Indigo Books and Music, which also owns the Chapters and Indigo brands. Coles and SmithBooks merged in the ’90s to form Chapters, which later merged with Indigo in 2001.

The announcement that the Brampton Coles is closing comes just months after the Starbucks coffee shop inside the Brampton Market Hall Indigo also closed permanently.

Many of Starbucks’ Indigo- and Chapters-attached locations have closed following the book retailer’s deal with Canadian coffee chain Good Earth Cafe in 2022, including in Sudbury and Kitchener. The Coles bookstore in Oakville was also shuttered permanently in 2024.

 


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