Our Shops

Our original shop in Lygon Street, Carlton was founded by Ross Reading, his partner Dot and Peter Reid, and has long been a gathering point for the Australian literary scene. It began life as a tiny stand-alone shop in 1969. The growing business moved to larger premises on 338 Lygon Street in 1982, making its final move to 309 Lygon Street, where it stands today, in 1998.

We're excited to share that we'll be opening a 9th Readings shop at Chadstone in 2025!

More details will be coming soon – follow our socials or sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates about the shop opening. And if you're interested in joining the Chadstone team, check our Employment opportunities page.

Designed by the amazing team at Nest Architects, our shop in Westfield Doncaster is a beautiful open space, complete with archways and a sound-proofed reading nook. You’ll find the shop at Ground Level right next to David Jones.

Designed by the talented team at Kerstin Thompson Architects, our Emporium shop is a beautiful light-filled space over looking Little Bourke St, complete with beautiful heritage windows and plenty of seating to contemplate and read. You’ll find the shop on level one near the footbridge to Myer.

Originally designed by Christopher Cowper in 1916, our Hawthorn shop is housed in the historic Edwardian ANZ bank building and has been interiorly designed by the exceptional Kerstin Thompson Architects. Blending original structural features with warm, modern fixtures this beautiful space provides a rich experience for the Hawthorn community.

Readings Kids is a speciality children’s and young adult bookshop that is home to books, games and more for kids and teens, and welcomes families and people of all ages who enjoy children’s and young adult literature.

Readings Malvern has been operating at its location on Glenferrie Road for more than ten years. Its loyal customer base is drawn from the local community, with many regular customers counted among its visitors.

Readings State Library is the first permanent commercial bookshop permitted to be established in the building in the Library’s 150 year history. It is a unique space that caters to students, travellers and library-regulars.

Having traded on Acland Street for close to 20 years, previously as the independent Cosmos, our St Kilda store is one of the community’s longest-running businesses. Our selection includes a wide range of books by Australian and international authors, encompassing literature, history, art and design, travel, cookery and children’s books, as well as new release vinyl records!

Readings Online began as a mail order service operating out of our Carlton shop on Lygon St. Since the launch of our website, our online shop has grown and we now have a dedicated team looking after all your orders from our new office and warehouse in West Melbourne.