Multiple MPH Bookstore Outlets Are Closing Down This Week
The outlets were seen with empty shelves and banners promoting moving out clearance sales.
By May Vin Ang — 02 Jun 2020, 06:44 PM
UPDATE: MPH Group is closing certain stores because it is moving towards digitalising its business. Read the full story here.
It seems that several MPH Bookstore outlets in Malaysia are closing down their businesses
Despite no official announcement from the company, netizens from across the country have taken to social media to share that their neighbourhood outlets were closing.
Over the last few days, some said they saw staff emptying shelves and packing books in boxes, while some stores were having moving out clearance sales.
A viral post by Facebook user Zatika Izati Puade listed nine MPH outlets that have already or are in the midst of closing:
- MPH Amanjaya, Kedah
- MPH Kinta City, Perak
- MPH Sunway Geo, Selangor
- MPH SACC Mall, Selangor
- MPH Subang Parade, Selangor
- MPH MyTOWN, Kuala Lumpur
- MPH Mydin MITC, Melaka
- MPH JB City Square, Johor
- MPH Taman Universiti, Johor
She personally visited the MyTOWN branch yesterday, 1 June, and shared the following pictures.
"A lot of the shelves were already empty and the books were packed in boxes," she wrote.
SAYS has reached out to MPH to confirm if their outlets are truly closing for business but have yet to receive a reply
The management at the branch at Kinta City in Ipoh did, however, tell SAYS over the phone that five outlets will be closing by this Saturday, 6 June, namely MPH Subang Parade, MPH JB City Square, MPH Taman Universiti, MPH Mydin MITC, and their own outlet.
Malaysians were sad to hear the news that their well-loved outlets were closing
"This is so sad. I like bookstores. When I was a teenager that hung out in malls, I would always wait at bookstores while waiting for my friends to arrive. Kill time while reading books. I always ended up buying one or two comic books," reminisced a Facebook user.
Another said, "MPH AEON Kinta City was the only MPH in Perak that I would visit."
"Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, I haven't gone to Ipoh. I can't confirm if it's closed or not yet. If it has, it's really sad."
This Twitter user said, "I did not expect to feel this sad when I entered MPH earlier and saw their staff packing books into boxes. There was a 'moving out clearance' sign on the shop windows. Is this the end of bookstores?"
