{"id":869,"date":"2026-06-06T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?p=869"},"modified":"2026-06-06T05:59:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T19:59:53","slug":"%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/","title":{"rendered":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The news spread with a hush, then a rush: a <strong>beloved<\/strong> corner of Melbourne\u2019s <strong>literary<\/strong> life is preparing to lock its doors for the last time. For four decades and a bit, a small shop with big <strong>heart<\/strong> turned passing feet into loyal <strong>readers<\/strong>, transformed rainy afternoons into <strong>adventures<\/strong>, and stitched strangers into a <strong>community<\/strong> that felt like home.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>On a crisp weekday <strong>morning<\/strong>, regulars gathered by the front <strong>window<\/strong>, lingering over dog\u2011eared maps and a last\u2011minute stack of <strong>paperbacks<\/strong>. Someone left a jar of garden <strong>flowers<\/strong> by the counter; someone else pressed a thank\u2011you <strong>note<\/strong> into the owner\u2019s hand. \u201cYou taught my son to <strong>read<\/strong>,\u201d the note said. \u201cYou taught me to <strong>slow<\/strong> down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>A final chapter, written in the margins<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The owners announced the decision with a <strong>mixture<\/strong> of sadness and wry <strong>grace<\/strong>, as you might expect from people who\u2019ve spent their lives with <strong>stories<\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019ve been turning the <strong>page<\/strong> for 42 years,\u201d co\u2011owner <strong>Elena<\/strong> Tran said, \u201cand now we\u2019re at the end of the <strong>book<\/strong>. It\u2019s not a tragedy; it\u2019s a <strong>finale<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Old posters still fade on the sun\u2011washed <strong>wall<\/strong>, and a bell still tings over the <strong>door<\/strong>. But the calendar toward the <strong>till<\/strong> is circled in red: one last day, one last <strong>toast<\/strong>, one final round of \u201cWhat should I <strong>read<\/strong> next?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Why now, after all this time?<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Ask, and you\u2019ll hear a <strong>chorus<\/strong> of practical and poetic <strong>reasons<\/strong>. Rents ticked up like anxious <strong>metronomes<\/strong>. Online giants squeezed margins until the <strong>spine<\/strong> creaked. The pandemic taught people to <strong>scroll<\/strong>, then made it hard to break the <strong>habit<\/strong>. \u201cWe can\u2019t out\u2011algorithm the <strong>internet<\/strong>,\u201d Elena said, \u201cbut we can leave with our <strong>dignity<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also the question of <strong>life<\/strong> itself. Long days have a way of becoming long <strong>years<\/strong>, and the body\u2014like a well\u2011thumbed <strong>novel<\/strong>\u2014shows its creases. \u201cI want to see the <strong>beach<\/strong> on a Wednesday,\u201d joked co\u2011owner <strong>Marcel<\/strong> Ko, \u201cand learn to bake bread that doesn\u2019t break a <strong>tooth<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>A living room for the neighborhood<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>For locals, the shop has been less a <strong>business<\/strong> than a <strong>commons<\/strong>. Children hauled stools to reach the picture\u2011book <strong>shelves<\/strong>. Teenagers built identities in the poetry <strong>aisle<\/strong>. Grandparents traded recipes in the cookbook <strong>nook<\/strong>, then sat near the back with a dog and a <strong>flat<\/strong> white.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the <strong>stock<\/strong>,\u201d said regular <strong>Priya<\/strong> S., cradling a first edition with the reverence of a <strong>secret<\/strong>. \u201cIt was how they remembered your <strong>name<\/strong>, your kid\u2019s birthday, and the essay you were too <strong>scared<\/strong> to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>The week of goodbyes<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The final days will be stitched together with small, generous <strong>gestures<\/strong>\u2014more salon than <strong>sell\u2011off<\/strong>, more gratitude than <strong>grief<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul><\/p>\n<li>A twilight reading of staff <strong>favorites<\/strong>, a table of \u201cbooks we\u2019ve loved too <strong>long<\/strong>,\u201d and a notebook near the door for customers to write their <strong>memories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<p>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBring your best <strong>story<\/strong>,\u201d Marcel said, \u201cor borrow one from the <strong>shelves<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What remains when a shop disappears<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The quiet truth is that a good bookshop doesn\u2019t only move <strong>inventory<\/strong>\u2014it moves <strong>people<\/strong>. It teaches taste without <strong>snobbery<\/strong>, invites curiosity without <strong>tests<\/strong>, and makes the ordinary day feel <strong>enchanted<\/strong> at the low price of a paperback and ten <strong>minutes<\/strong> of peace.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I was new to <strong>Melbourne<\/strong>, I didn\u2019t know a <strong>soul<\/strong>,\u201d said customer <strong>James<\/strong> L., eyes a little brighter than usual. \u201cThis was where I learned which tram to <strong>catch<\/strong>, which poets to <strong>trust<\/strong>, and where to stand when the city felt too <strong>loud<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Passing the torch, not just the keys<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Though the shopfront will fall <strong>silent<\/strong>, the owners are quietly seeding what <strong>comes<\/strong> next. Unsold titles from local authors will be <strong>donated<\/strong> to reading groups and school <strong>libraries<\/strong>. The little monthly salon will migrate to a nearby <strong>caf\u00e9<\/strong>, swapping stacks of hardbacks for mismatched ceramic <strong>mugs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe always believed in the ecosystem of <strong>reading<\/strong>,\u201d Elena said. \u201cIf part of it goes <strong>dark<\/strong>, another part can glow a little <strong>brighter<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>On the art of leaving well<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Every farewell teaches a vocabulary of <strong>care<\/strong>: how to look someone in the <strong>eye<\/strong>, how to mean it when you say \u201csee you <strong>around<\/strong>,\u201d how to fold the last paper <strong>bag<\/strong> as if it were origami for a gentle <strong>future<\/strong>. In the end, the ledger that <strong>matters<\/strong> isn\u2019t sales but sentences, not units moved but lives <strong>touched<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeep asking for <strong>recommendations<\/strong>,\u201d Marcel said, laughing softly. \u201cEven if there\u2019s no one behind our <strong>counter<\/strong>, there\u2019s always a person behind a <strong>book<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The lights will click off soon, but not before a few final <strong>rituals<\/strong>: one last alphabetizing of the unruly <strong>Zs<\/strong>, a wipe of the children\u2019s <strong>table<\/strong>, a goodbye to the ladder that reached the very top <strong>shelf<\/strong>. Outside, the street keeps being <strong>Melbourne<\/strong>\u2014trams humming, magpies warbling, clouds playing <strong>dress\u2011up<\/strong> with the sun.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re passing, step in while you <strong>can<\/strong>. Take a book that smells of <strong>paper<\/strong> and rain, and carry it into your <strong>life<\/strong> like a small, stubborn ember against the winter <strong>wind<\/strong>. And when someone asks where you found it, say the name of a shop that is gone, yet still very much <strong>here<\/strong>\u2014because that\u2019s what the best bookshops <strong>do<\/strong>: they linger, they echo, they <strong>stay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"class_list":["post-869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure - The Ponds | Shopping Centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/\u02bcafter-42-years-it\u02bcs-time-to-say-goodbye\u02bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure - The Ponds | Shopping Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/\u02bcafter-42-years-it\u02bcs-time-to-say-goodbye\u02bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Ponds | Shopping Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepondsshoppingcentre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-06T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elliot Wainford\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elliot Wainford\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elliot Wainford\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\"},\"headline\":\"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-06T06:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":898,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Uncategorized\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure - The Ponds | Shopping Centre\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-06T06:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg\",\"width\":1360,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Shop At The Ponds\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Ponds | Shopping Centre\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\",\"name\":\"Elliot Wainford\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Elliot Wainford\"},\"description\":\"Elliot Wainford is an economist specializing in consumer behavior, retail pricing dynamics, and local market ecosystems. He analyzes how small commercial hubs shape regional growth, employment, and household spending patterns. His work blends applied microeconomics with practical insights for merchants and community planners.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/\u02bcafter-42-years-it\u02bcs-time-to-say-goodbye\u02bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","og_url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/\u02bcafter-42-years-it\u02bcs-time-to-say-goodbye\u02bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/","og_site_name":"The Ponds | Shopping Centre","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepondsshoppingcentre","article_published_time":"2026-06-06T06:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1360,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elliot Wainford","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elliot Wainford","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/"},"author":{"name":"Elliot Wainford","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755"},"headline":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure","datePublished":"2026-06-06T06:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/"},"wordCount":898,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg","articleSection":["Uncategorized"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/","name":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-06T06:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cabcafter-42-years-itcabcs-time-to-say-goodbyecabc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure-869.jpg","width":1360,"height":768,"caption":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/%ca%bcafter-42-years-it%ca%bcs-time-to-say-goodbye%ca%bc-a-much-loved-melbourne-bookshop-announces-its-final-closure\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Shop At The Ponds","item":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u02bcAfter 42 years it\u02bcs time to say goodbye\u02bc: a much-loved Melbourne bookshop announces its final closure"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/","name":"The Ponds | Shopping Centre","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755","name":"Elliot Wainford","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","caption":"Elliot Wainford"},"description":"Elliot Wainford is an economist specializing in consumer behavior, retail pricing dynamics, and local market ecosystems. He analyzes how small commercial hubs shape regional growth, employment, and household spending patterns. His work blends applied microeconomics with practical insights for merchants and community planners.","sameAs":["https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":960,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869\/revisions\/960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}