Indigo is hard to describe because we don't have anything truly like it in the Bay Area. It's a bit like if you mixed an Anthropologie, a Barnes and Noble, and something like Five Little Monkeys, part toy store, part bookstore, part housewares. They had a smaller section of American Girl toys and accessories than expected (pictures show an entire section) and it's all for the 18 inch doll, but I did enjoy their massive children's area otherwise. One escalator wasn't working, but they did have an elevator and there's a Starbucks on the half street level adjoining them with quite a bit of seating. All in all it was nice to look around, though I didn't seen anything I loved enough to bring back with me. read more

I was looking for a book about bugs for a challenging kid. The cashier Kevin helped me telling kids' literacy skills and what he said "long use" made me purchase that book. Thank you! The children's book section was very tidy and clean. I noticed at least there were three staffs and they were busy for helping. It seemed very knowledgeable people! read more

Indigo - Upstairs: Children's book corner - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

stopped into indigo with a list of books to get for Christmas gifts. checked the computer to find location and sent off to find them while being strangely followed around the store by the security guy to the point it was uncomfortable and left. If this is what the shopping experience is like these days, I'll stick to ordering online. Wont use indigo again after being treated like a petty thief for no apparent reason to me. Tried calling the place to bring this up and phone doesn't get answered. Poor service. read more

I love to spend time browsing all the books at Indigo Chapters. Then I end up buying more books and ordering more books. The staff have been helpful and respectful every time!!!!! Especially with finding books and ordering books. A clean, spacious and safe place to spend some time to get away from the crazy, busy, loud streets of Vancouver. read more

I don't understand why service is so crappy since Covid. I asked the cashier for advice on where to find an item, they instructed me where to go. I was asked upstairs if I needed help and I said yes. I asked for the item, and the sales person started to help me, then a cute lady came by asked a question and I was ditched mid-help. I don't understand this, but apparently customer service is a thing of the past or pre-Covid read more

My wife and two babies attended Indigo on Granville today and we had a horrible experience. A lady budged in front of us at the cashier and instead of the cashier offering to help us first. She chose to help the lady and kept us waiting. We were returning a poor-quality, plastic $20 night-light that we had received as a gift. We did not have a receipt. The light was obviously purchased from Indigo and was on the computer system. We only wanted store credit to buy a book for our toddler instead. The cashier refused. We escalated the matter to store manager (Gary Balaski). He did not recognize that the cashier did any thing wrong and backed her up. He could have checked the surveillance cameras for verification. He refused to give us store credit since there was on a change in store policy that was never advertised. I asked the store manager to throw the night-light in the garbage and left the store. I am planning on making negative reviews and I am going to discourage friends and relatives from ever shopping at Indigo again! read more

This is my favourite chapters location. It's close to my work so it's convenient. They have lots of inventory. Love their gifts. I don't really buys books but like their moleskine notebooks and their gifts. Service is good and staff are friendly. read more

Love Indigo which I still call Chapters. Their stores are beautifully fresh and cleanly laid out. Love the products they sell, the quality and the variety. Pricing is great when items go on sale. I'm a member and the fee is well worth it for what you get back in discount. I hope they never go away. I also shop on their website. read more

Neat. Modern, spacious, great selection of new fiction, and even some bargain titles (I saw a hardcover Murakami!). I didn't know what kind of store this was walking in, so I was surprised to see lots of stylish "merch" for sale -- there's not really a US equivalent in this regard, since they had home decor and crockery (dutch ovens??) for sale upstairs. It's like a BarnesAndNoble-cum-UrbanOutfitters-cum-SurLaTable? Still, books. Plenty of good fiction and I'd go here to collect all the Canadian editions of stuff. read more

Indigo - You can't get these in the US! For the demanding reader who doesn't have enough angles of Knausgaard's angsty scruffy face - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Indigo, formerly Chapters - Indigo, and even earlier simply Chapters, is perhaps Vancouver's largest bookstore. It's certainly the city's most corporate one. It gets 3 stars for its size and selection; it is, after all, two stories of book goodness. Plus if you're looking for a coffee to sip while you browse there's a Starbucks right in store. As for personality, the store scores lower. I'd give it a two just because so many of the young staff are so pleasant and eager to help. I'd like to believe they're hired purely for this quality, but let's face it, Indigo is looking for people who work cheap. All in all of you can't find a book you're looking for at one of Vancouver's numerous independent book stores with heart that somehow continue to make a go of it, then this plane is worth checking out. Try Book Warehouse first, though, becuase if they have the book it's undoubtedly cheaper. All in all this plane is better than shopping Amazon, though you will pay a little more. read more

Chapters, Vancouver Easy location to find, SW corner of Broadway and Granville. Nice airy building surrounded by wall to wall windows on the Broadway and Granville sides. Has a Starbucks next to it for your coffee and snacks but the bookstore could use a bigger sitting area (2nd floor) for reading; and it would be nicer if the Starbucks or other libation provider would be incorporated in the store as, for instance, many Safeway stores have... or some bookstores south of the border. The area is of high traffic: excellent access for public transportation but terrible for driving-in. Street parking is scarce and expensive: $5/hr to 18:00; $2/hr 18-22:00. Indoor public parking is of course more expensive but should be advertised outside the store entrance. There's no entry to indoor parking from Granville St & perhaps from Broadway either; there is entry to parking from 10th Ave & perhaps from Fir St. Business hours are correctly indicated (I assume) at the entrance door but YELP has not updated it since the pandemic? YELP shows closing time is 22:00 but when I drove there, just before 21:00 (St parking at this time, $2/hr), the door sign showed closing time to be 7pm (19:00). The staff at the store is very knowledgeable (as expected) and very helpful. This I tell from my previous visits and see no reason why it should be any different now. read more

Lovely, lovely bookstore. This is definitely the Barnes & Noble of Canada, and according to my friend who's Canadian-born and raised, this is a very nice store even compared to other Indigo stores. Why do I like this place so much? They have a wide selection of books (obvs) laid out nicely without being cramped. Many stores' setups try to show how large of a selection they have, which I appreciate, but as a woman with a large purse constantly attached to me, it can be annoying when I try to squeeze through narrow aisles or past other people. Their first floor houses the best sellers, popular books on sale, stationery, cards, and a cafe. Their second floor houses the rest of their popular books with the usual genres: fantasy, fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, manga, and kids. They even have sections entirely devoted to interior design/home beauty with pillows and candles for sale, another with cookbooks and cute kitchenware and table sets, etc. I don't know if they always have this sale, but upstairs there was a table with a "3 books for $10" deal. Of course I took their offer and doubled it and added another good buy to get 7 books for $31 total. Service was friendly; the only less than absolutely stellar thing I have to say is in my eager state, I didn't realize I bought two copies of the same book, and when I went to exchange it, the girl that helped me was very visibly not happy with her job. Her words were accommodating and fair in explaining to me what she would be doing with the transaction, but her face was just screaming, "Is my shift over yet?" read more

I don't remember when it changed names, but wow, has it ever changed aesthetically in the last couple of years, and it's proud to be Canadian as evinced by the huge sign you can view from across the street! It carries many household goods you might otherwise find at Nordstrom, Kate Spade items you'd find at Kate Spade and cute little knick knacks like owl lip balm and cat sticky notes that you would find at Urban Outfitters. I might just begin my Christmas shopping here--I was that impressed. The magazine section is still pretty decent, and now with our lower Canadian dollar it is actually cheaper to buy them here for the first time in as long as I can remember! Too bad I couldn't find anywhere to sit and read here, tho, another fail on behalf of Indigo. Why can't they take a page out of the NY B & N and follow suit? Then there is the American doll section that I barely glanced at (thank God I no longer have to buy these) and was that crazy overrun section all about Lego? It was packed! They have a cool selection of Vancouver and Canadian teas and syrup, and if I needed to buy any tourist gifts I might just stop here first. Clearly Indigo (which will always be Chapters in my eyes) does not want to Go Chapter 11 like the flagship store and since the place was packed, their re-branded image seems to be working! Oh, did I mention that they also carry some interesting looking books? read more

Don't open a huge store, especially a store that caters to children, and then keep all of your bathrooms closed. Completely unacceptable. Also the staff all seemed very miserable about having to do their jobs. Will be sticking to Robson location from now on. read more

Helpful staff and good selection of books as well as home decor items such as candles, diffusers and oils, cards, etc. Love this place! Could spend hours in there. read more

Where do grad students go to get textbooks (aka a bestseller that is required reading)? One would say Amazon (or buy off a stranger from Craigslist). However, sometimes textbooks on Amazon take up to 4 weeks to ship to you and that is not up to snuff if you want to get a jump on your pre-readings. Other times, you just don't want some stranger's fingerprints on your books. Other people just follow the prof's instructions as in "please get the access code therefore you cannot buy a used book". So, what does one do? PAY FULL PRICE ya'll and hits up Indigo! Okay, so there are bonuses to Indigo, you can save some dollah dollah' bills if you order the book and ship it to the store..but that can take days or weeks to ship to the store. So I popped in midday during a work break to pick up my lovely shiny book. I hadn't actually been in here since over a year ago and it magically changed into an Indigo. The space is similar to its Chapters days, but the branding of the store looks more "Indigo-esque". The selection and variety is still top notch, you can find anything from bestsellers, to fiction, non-fiction, business, self-help, baking...basically everything. In addition to 'everything', you can find cute cards, gifts, stationary, trinkets and good looking men and women who are perusing the selection. No joke. Check it out - it's also connected to the starbucks right beside it so you can read your new (text)book over some java java. xoxo ERika G. OH P.S. - THEY HAVE LEGO AND AMERICAN DOLLS UPSTAIRS. LEGO! I SAY LEGO! ALERT ALERT LEGO and some dollies. So I guess for all those who are looking for an elusive Lego set around town or dollie, pop up to this Granville and Broadway local. Nifty. read more

It definitely houses most of the genre and satisfies my love for books. That said, they tend to be more expensive than if you were to order online. Still a lovely place to browse through sections you are interested in, and I would sometimes just order online after an in-store visit. Their customer service is unmatched as well!! I'm always happy with a satisfied experience when I leave the store. read more

One of my favourite stores to spend my free time or to relax. They have such a wide variety of items for me to discover and there is always new product every time I visit. The staff is always friendly when you have questions ( even when they are in the middle of doing something). Right by the major bus stops and one of the biggest Indigo I know. read more

Such an incredible book selection, I could spend hours here. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful and I really love the homewares and fashion items they have available upstairs too. As a bonus they are dog friendly so if I'm in the area walking the dog on a wet Vancouver day it's a great place to peruse and stay dry. read more

Makes you miss independent bookshops with staff that care about books and actually like customers. Arrived more than two hours prior to the closing time posted online, but they'd changed their hours. We were on holiday and had travelled across town from our hotel. They were closing in a few minutes. The manager wouldn't let our two teenagers take 5 minutes to choose a book. Hounded them out of the shop. Quite bizarre to find a store with staff that rude. Independent bookshops are happy to have customers and make an effort. Will avoid Chapters whenever possible. read more

I finally cashed in that Gift card I won a year ago to buy a very witty comedy cook book called "Dark Side of the Spoon" which is a book of rock star inspired recipes. I have been holding onto this card simply cause I didn't know what to get and most books that they have on sale I have already read from the library. I did also have some extra to pick up a nice notebook as a gift for myself. I have always found this place well organized and the staff to be helpful all the times that I have been there. I am noticing that as the years pass that the magazine section is slimming down significantly. read more

I bought a backpack 6 days ago. After a couple of days the zipper broke and today I wanted to return it. They refused to return it since I didn't have the receipt. I didn't keep the receipt since I have a guest profile and assumed that all my transactions were saved. The manager was really rude and accused me for lying. I haven't experienced this bad customer service in a really long time. It is not my fault that the quality of the product is bad and breaks only after a couple of days. Chapters have lost a customer. read more

Talk about service! Store was packed but lots of people to help you find what you were looking for, and if not available make suggestions for an alternative . Great sale on and lots of cashiers to make checking out quick and easy even when the store was full of Shoppers! read more

I had the worst experience they would not let my 5 year old son return a LEGO set and yelled at him never go there.

Favorite haunt when in Vancouver. A great place to go in, lose yourself, & emerge with something wonderful an hour or more later. Love they stay open til 10 pm. On a warm summer evening it's quite fun to be in the long lines (but fast moving) at the 10pm checkout. Dinner out & a good book at Indigo? Perfect night. I see titles on graphic design I don't see elsewhere, really love the feeling I will discover something new at Indigo. Sales section varies, but housewares, some personal tech, a wide selection of planners & journals and a Starbucks make it an interesting browse, a good place to pick up a gift, or sit down with a new 'best book'. read more

This is a beautiful store to get lost in for an hour or so. The layout is spacious and well organized. I love this locations large selection of children's books. I came in to browse last weekend and this very knowledgeable woman helped me to find some new and exciting books for my nieces. read more

Horrible experience with the staff at this location, especially the General Manager, Jesse Minary. I stated my medical mask exemption, called ahead to have books set aside, and was flat out refused service of any kind, as I don't have a credit card to order online. After pointing out the discrimination in their policy that does NOT follow the PHO which states medical exemptions of retail stores are valid, I told them to call security. The security affirmed I have a right to shop in store with a mask exemption but no staff would serve me or let me pay. They called the police on me and my 4 YEAR OLD SON (and I'm pregnant) and tried to have me ARRESTED for trespassing. After leaving the store and speaking with the officer, he affirmed this is discrimination and I am now escalating a human rights complaint. SHAME ON YOU INDIGO. You just lost a lot of customers and all respect. Expect a lawsuit. read more

Like this place. It's really chill and cozy. Unfortunately the variety of products is limited comparing to other locations. So it's much more convenient to order online. And I also miss traditional Starbucks inside the store :( read more

I bought my purchases online and went to the store to pick it up. I was in and out in a reasonable amount of time and the books. The service was prompt and alert. read more