Local

New Pierce County bookstores, recent closures, and shops that are moving

Stories by Tacoma News Tribune journalists, with AI summarization

New stores like Grit City Books in Tacoma and page & pine in Puyallup want to foster inclusive spaces and adapt inventory to customer needs to strengthen ties to local readers. Store closures, such as Destiny City Comics, highlight challenges like rising rents.

Relocations and expansions, such as Invitation Bookshop's move in Gig Harbor, reflect efforts to improve accessibility and host more events. Meanwhile, the planned relocation of a national retailer in Lakewood underscores the continued transformation of physical book retail spaces.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

The interior of Invitation Bookshop, an independent bookstore that sells new books in Gig Harbor, Wash. The store’s name comes from the first poem, “Invitation,” in Shel Silverstein’s collection “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” according to owner Allyson Howard. By Courtesy of Michaela Devine

NO. 1: INDIE BOOKSTORE HAS A NEW PIERCE COUNTY SHOP, ‘ROMANTASY’ BOOK CLUB AND WRITING GROUPS

The new store will open in time for the South Sound Book Crawl. | Published March 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Julia Park

ETHAN H.D., owner and proprietary, Destiny City Comics poses for a portrait, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 2: BELOVED TACOMA COMIC BOOK SHOP KNOWN FOR ITS QUEER AND BIPOC-FRIENDLY TITLES TO CLOSE

Increasing rent made the business unsustainable, one of its owners said. | Published February 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Becca Most

Emily Foster (second from left) visits the Puyallup Farmers’ Market in 2024 with friends and family who she said are big supporters of her new bookshop downtown.

NO. 3: FOR DECADES, DOWNTOWN PUYALLUP HAS BEEN WITHOUT A BOOKSTORE. THAT’S ABOUT TO CHANGE

A bookstore is one of the top businesses people want in downtown Puyallup, a survey found. | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alexis Krell

The Barnes & Noble is in jeopardy with an apartment complex going in nearby, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Lakewood, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 4: NEW HOME FOR LAKEWOOD BOOKSTORE? PERMIT DOCUMENTS INDICATE WHERE RETAILER MAY BE HEADED

Records on file with City of Lakewood offer clues as to what’s next for Barnes & Noble, slated for demolition to make way for apartments. | Published October 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Grit City Books, now an online business, aims to also open a physical bookstore at 3116 Sixth Ave., in spring 2024. The location is part of the ground level commercial space of Sixth & Alder Apartments.

NO. 5: GRIT CITY BOOKS’ GRAND OPENING IS THIS WEEKEND, MARKING A ‘RENAISSANCE’ OF THE BRICK-AND-MORTAR BOOKSTORE

The store is hosting a grand opening on Saturday at 3116 6th Ave. starting at 11 a.m. Grit City Books’ co-founders hope to serve as a welcoming space for the community. | Published May 3, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Carter

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.