Archway Bookshop

The Archway Bookshop has been a much loved part of the Axminster community for well over 50 years, occupying a beautiful old building on a side street. After taking over the business in 2019, Simon Holmes quickly recognised that, for all their appeal, the premises lacked space to expand and were limited in their accessibility by a spiral staircase.

Conversations with Axminster Property established the potential availability of two ground-floor units that could be combined into one purpose-designed bookshop.

The shop that ultimately opened its doors in November 2021 includes state-of-the-art lighting, finely controlled air conditioning and a huge expanse of windows, using double glazed and laminated glass to reduce misting in winter.

Axminster Property designed and (with local CNC support) built 29 bookcases plus a new counter – and even an archway to create a stylish entrance to the children’s department.

The customer’s verdict

“The opportunity to design an independent bookshop from scratch is a rare one and there is no doubt that the end-product is very special,” says Simon. “It was possible because we had a landlord that worked closely with us all the way down the line and that was prepared to go the extra mile. They even helped us with the physical move!”

Get in touch today and see how we can make your investment work harder.