by Júlia
Spring is always a special time for our ABC family. As the days get longer and the world starts to bloom again, we find ourselves in full celebration mode.
This season isn’t just about fresh starts — it’s party time for us. In April, we’re celebrating the birthdays of our two stores in Amsterdam and The Hague. And just a few weeks ago, on the 18th of March, our store in Leidschendam at the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands officially turned five.
Five years… well, in dog years that basically makes us about 35. Mature, but still playful enough to keep things fun. 😉
Anyone who has already visited our store in The Mall knows that even though it’s a tiny space, it’s hiding a lot of treasures… but also a bit of confusion. With cozy, warm vibes but surrounded by all the shopping madness around us, it’s no surprise our store often gets mistaken for an information desk by lost visitors — or confused customers asking how many books they can borrow from our ‘library’. We’ve also been mistaken for a kiosk, stationery shop, or cigar store… the list just keeps going!
Since its unpredictable beginnings in 2021, with a start right in the middle of lockdown, the store has grown and evolved alongside the tastes of our visitors.
It’s hard to believe that Manga, one of our most popular and biggest sections today, started with just a few shelves. Over time, we’ve also made space for rising genres like Romantasy, or dedicated a whole shelf to timeless authors such as Stephen King.
We’ve also said goodbye to the magazines, which once took up much of the space at the back of our store, and replaced them with a gorgeous collection of deluxe and collector’s editions — simply too tempting to resit treating yourself or buying them as a wonderful present for loved ones.
That’s one of the reasons people come to the mall: to spend time with friends, to browse, or to treat themselves after a long week. For those moments, we have a special shelf filled with Blind Book Dates: carefully wrapped surprises with just a few clues, ready to be taken home.
For those on a mission to find the perfect gift for a book lover, our store offers more than just books — we also have lots of fun merchandise. From our own adorable ABC Booklover mugs to a wide range of book-themed T-shirts, caps, and socks from the amazing brand Out of Print.
And for those who’ve had enough of reading for studies or work, we have plenty of playful board games, clever little puzzles, and RPG game books to help you escape from reality.
Yes, all of this and even more we hold and sell every day in just a few square meters in the middle of the Mall. It can get a bit tight and noisy, especially on the weekends, but as a bookseller, there’s nothing better than closing after a busy day and to see the shelves half empty. And the next day, we go again!
While writing this post, I was thinking about my three years working in our store in Leidschendam. There are so many memories — pleasant chats with people from all over the Netherlands and even beyond. So many shared recommendations, so many Blind Book Dates made, and so many an enjoyed coffee from our neighbor’s café. A day in the Mall is definitely different from working in our other stores, but it’s also quite unique and satisfying. When a customer asks for a specific title and we find it on the few shelves in our tiny store, we know we’re doing a good job. So keep coming, keep asking, and we’ll keep sharing these beautiful books with you.
At the end, let me tell you a short story from a diary of bookseller:
It was a big week in November 2023 for all Romantasy fans. After the world phenomenon Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, its second volume, Iron Flame, had just come out. Books were flying off the shelves, and even for us, it was exciting to see how big the fandom had grown. During my shift in the Mall, I received a call from someone in Ireland, asking our tiny store in Leidschendam if we still had any copies of Iron Flame — because in all of Ireland, it was hopelessly sold out. We did have a few copies, and so the book made a short trip to our store in The Hague (we’re not equipped for this kind of administration in Leidschendam) before embarking on a longer journey straight to a happy reader somewhere in Ireland. Happy ending! 🙂
