One of Antigua and Barbuda’s most cherished bookshops will close at the end of the year after 25 years of serving readers, students and educators.

The Best of Books, located in St John’s, is set to shut its doors permanently in December 2025. The announcement was made on Monday by manager and shareholder Barbara Arrindell, who cited mounting financial and infrastructural challenges.

Arrindell described the decision as “painful but inevitable”, as the store grapples with declining sales driven by a global shift to digital reading and local issues such as poor city infrastructure, limited accessibility, and inadequate parking.

The educational sector—once the store’s mainstay—has also moved away from printed textbooks, compounding the store’s difficulties.

To mark its final chapter, the store has launched a clearance sale, with most items discounted by at least 35%. Customers spending over EC$200 will receive 50% off, although local titles and special orders are excluded.

Schools and teachers are being urged to make use of the reduced prices in the coming months.

The store will remain open through December, allowing customers time to bid farewell to a long-standing cultural fixture.