The much-loved newsagent is shutting its doors on 25 May, after over 33 years of service.
65-year-old co-founder Raj Patel said to Vogue, “We are closing because of rent going up, and the time is coming for me to have a break.” Co-founder and brother S.M. Patel added, “You can’t help it. We have to move on with our lives.”
“It’s very sad that we have to leave but I’m taking with me good things, all my customers, they keep me going. Without the customers I wouldn’t be here. I’m always grateful and thankful,” said Raj.
“Today, people are saying online is the best way but still people want the print version. They like the smell of the print. They want to come and look and feel it and buy it.”
The two brothers first opened the shop on 16 July 1984, and since its conception the store has become one of the most frequented hotspots in the city for publications, with regular customers returning for bi-annual and monthly prints. Its stock encompasses a large range of magazines in the fields of fashion, art and design, and the newsagent has helped nurture the independent publishing scene with its support for fledgling publications.
