Final stroke after 102 years: ÖBV bookstore in Vienna closes!

Final stroke after 102 years: ÖBV bookstore in Vienna closes!

The ÖBV bookstore at Schwarzenbergstrasse 5 in Vienna will close at the end of the year, after 102 years in brick-and-mortar retail. The popular bookstore, which specializes in school and educational media, is struggling with declining sales and an unfavorable lease. These circumstances have sealed the end for the traditional bookshop, and the employees are faced with the difficulty of finding new jobs, as bookseller Martina reports. The atmosphere in the bookstore is increasingly characterized by a noticeable sense of uncertainty, as sales are now underway with discounts of up to 50% in order to reduce remaining stocks.

In May 2025, the bookstore was taken over by freytag & berndt, but support for schools and direct deliveries will continue. In the future, this will be taken over by the freytag & berndt bookstore at Wallnerstrasse 3 in Vienna, where the range and textbook expertise are to be expanded. Responsibility for the bookstore on Schwarzenbergstrasse will be maintained until the end of October, followed by gradually reduced opening hours to clear the last stocks, while the closure is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Background to the closure

The reasons for the closure of the ÖBV bookstore are obvious: a noticeable decline in sales in stationary retail, the outdated rental agreements and the expiry of the naming rights to the ÖBV brand led to the decision. According to the annual report “Austria's Trade in Numbers”, trade in our country is an important sector that employs more than 700,000 people. Nevertheless, the retail sector is faced with major challenges, which is also reflected in this closure.

The numbers are alarming: 37% of retailers assess the current business situation as difficult, while only 20% are optimistic. In addition, there are concerns about purchasing reluctance and falling customer frequency, and last but not least, the constantly rising costs for staff, rent and goods. According to this report, there are 326,505 active retail workers, with 9,493 positions vacant.

Outlook and consequences

The ÖBV bookstore was not only an important place for book lovers, but also a central point of contact for all educational media in Vienna. The closure not only leaves employees in an uncertain situation, but also regular customers who valued the personal contact and competent advice. The book trade, together with the ÖBV bookstore, faces numerous challenges that will affect the sector in the long term. Today and Books.at report on the closure and its background.

The freytag & berndt bookstore on Wallnerstrasse will try to further expand its textbook expertise in order to preserve the ÖBV bookstore's valuable customer contacts. However, the increasing online trade, which has grown significantly in recent years, and the increasing expectations of customers could pose a challenge for the established book trade.

It remains to be seen how the book landscape in Vienna will continue to develop, while many bookstores are fighting for their existence and have to adapt to the changing market conditions. Even though stationary retail is an important economic sector in Austria, it shows that the future does not only depend on the number of stores, but above all on the adaptability of the companies, as the overview from Trade Association clarified.