While visiting family in Winnipeg, my husband and I went on a used-bookstore tour of the city - we…read morestopped at 7 stores in total, and Bison Books was our favorite. Even from the street view, there are nice welcoming displays in the window, and as soon as you open the door, you are greeted with that wonderful familiar old-book smell (in the best way possible!). There is a carefully curated section for basically any genre you can think of (Icelandic books or antique sheet music, anyone?) organized meticulously, peppered with unique and interesting decor. The books we were looking at (general fiction/literature trade paperbacks) were priced between $7-10/book. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, rounding out the excellent experience. I can't say enough good things about Bison Books, Absolute Must for Winnipeg book lovers!

From the owner: Bison Books carries a large, fresh, general stock of 15,000 secondhand and antiquarian books…read more We buy books almost every day: vintage, collectable and antiquarian, as well as literary fiction, classics, art, history, mystery, and more. Our staff is welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly - happy to help you find a specific title, make a recommendation, have a philosophical discussion, or leave you to browse the stacks to see which of our 15,000 books will call your name. We try to run contrary to the stereotypical cranky bookseller! We pay cash for books, and try to make it easy for you to sell your books to us: you can bring them in at your convenience, or make an appointment with our buyer (here, or at your home). We always make our best offer, first, since it is important to us to be fair, honest, and forthright. We want to treat you fairly, so that you always bring your books to us, first.

The staff are incredibly helpful. They'll look up a title you want to purchase and take you to the…read moreshelf. In the children's section, the staff ask the kids what they like (funny or serious, make believe or real, etc) until a perfect book is found. If you like a certain author, they will recommend "similar" authors. Love it.

Such an interesting laid out bookstore with friendly staff and a restaurant right there on site…read more Prairie Ink

I had mentioned during the summer that I have two Chapters locations in Winnipeg that are my…read morefavourites. The first one is at St. Vital Centre. The other one is this one on Empress Street, at Polo Festival. I'd come here on a leisurely Sunday. I'd check out a few books and sit there, reading them before committing to buying at least one of them. I used to frequent this Chapters before a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game. It was easy to park, go inside to look at CDs and books, and head over to the game. The CD and DVD sections are long gone when you walk into the store and look to the right. The same fate happened to the Canad Inn Stadium (formerly Winnipeg Stadium). If you ever need confirmation of buildings in the past that are no longer there and you think I've been there, I can likely provide insight. It seems like I go through this exercise often! While killing some time before my late afternoon flight out of Winnipeg, I returned to this Chapters. There is still lots of parking, except that there are new stores next to Chapters, including a Burger King that I dropped by after this bookstore visit. This Chapters is special, as it's the only one in the city with two floors. Part of the ceiling is made of glass, so you have the natural sunshine that Winnipeg offers year-round (it's the second sunniest city in Canada) beaming into the store. It's cheerful and pleasant. There used to be a Starbucks cafe on the second floor. I rarely frequented it when I was a Winnipegger, other than to grab a snack and chat with a friend now and again. Sadly, the cafe is gone. The washroom is also closed off, which seems to be a theme in this area, including at the Plaza at Polo Park. If you do need a washroom, Burger King is your best bet. The main floor had new book releases. It also had a bunch of gift ideas, from tote bags, to mugs. The kids section was at the back on the same floor. I saw lots of books, games, and plushies. If you are looking for Kobo readers, they are no longer on the main floor. Go up to the second floor and face Empress Street. These readers were on sale. I like these readers, but I tend to read digital books through the Kobo app on my phone. Magazines are still on the second floor. The selection is one of the better ones in the city. There was a lot of Taylor Swift merchandise. You could get her records, books, calendars, and more. I liked seeing a rotary telephone next to all the merchandise. Sadly, it wasn't for sale. This store also had a decent manga section on the second floor. It's on the right when you leave the escalator to get to this floor. It was wonderful returning to this bookstore. I relived old memories and created a few new ones. I'm happy that this store is still around. (494)

Dont use the online ordering . I ordered 2 books for early Dec pickup at the chapters at Kenaston…read moreBlvd. One book was backordered and the other was to be picked up in 2 weeks. After 2 weeks pickup was changed to the Empress store. Six months later I am still waiting for the second book to come in. July is the earliest they now claim. Yeah buy locally but what to do when they dont satisfy you. Try the competition

Super selection, very well organized and owner is very friendly. Have recommended to friends who…read morehave been very pleased to find books they have been looking for.

Knowledgeable and friendly owner, incredibly well organized used bookstore, tons of comics and…read morebooks for all ages. Highly recommend to any book or comic lover!

Red River Book Store - what can I say... a treasure trove of delight!! If you want to spend an hour…read moreor two getting endlessly lost in mounds of books, records, comics, and what have you's this is the place for you. Or maybe you just want to giggle at the funny posters and dusty wacky toys hidden in the store. Surprisingly, there is a bit of organization amidst the chaos and books are categorized in sections and separated from other stuff. I've found some pretty great stuff in the poetry / essays area. Check out the art and photography section - you might find a great tabletop book. If you're waiting for a table at any of the restaurants around the corner it's worth stopping into and the building is incredibly beautiful and old if you can get past the dust and paper. Good luck finding something!

Have gotten good deals here on books but be prepared there is no rhyme or reason to the way this…read moremessy bookstore is organized. The owner and his little assistant are not the most helpful people and both seem to suffering from hearing loss, it seems. Anyways, still worth a visit, parking limited beware!

Lots of great books, many that you can't find. Beautifully organized store and great prices!read more

As I live a considerable distance from the book store, I thought I would first phone to inquire as…read moreto whether the book I am looking for, is in fact currently stocked at the store. All I hear when I phone is a recorded message and I have called numerous times, still get the recorded message. I took my inquires to another book store, one that where actually a live person answers the phone, and responds to questions of book availability. For some reason, this particular book store {Burton Lysecki} thinks that a person calling on the phone, to inquire about a particular book is an intrusion and/ or interrupting their work. They do not understand that "I am the purpose of their work and employment." I was successful at the bookstore that answered their phone!

Lots of selection, helpful and friendly staff, fair prices. Definitely recommend shopping there if…read moreyou love books and comics

Great owner, great shop. I miss it now that I've moved. While I had trouble in another shop in…read moreWinnipeg, I came here weekly thereafter until I actually left the province. If I moved back, I'd be back, giving Danny my dime for his good reads!

Store is run by a very nice lady, (The boss lady)-that is what is said on her card, who is very…read morefair in her price and exchange values. Have been there several times, and have always come away with a couple of good finds in literature. Highly recommended.

Best bookstore in winnipeg! I've gone every week for the last couple of months and she always has…read morenew stock in, the owner is a very wonderful lady who is always there to give good recommendations and help you as well as have a good hearted conversation. I would recommend anyone to go here for books of all kinds and her prices are unbeatable. 5/5 store

This is one of those bookstores where it seems to be entirely constructed of its product - books up…read moreto the ceiling, layered and doubled up in some places, but everywhere still has its place. Doubling as a collectible store, it does have a "this is the best garage sale ever" kind of a feel, with a friendly smiling face behind the counter. The books we were looking at (general fiction/literature trade paperbacks) were well priced between $4-6/book. While this section of the store was one of the smaller ones, we still found a book on our list for $5, which is a W for us.