Indigo Books and Music

Indigo Books & Music Inc.
Company typePrivate
TSX: IDG
IndustryBookselling
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
FounderHeather Reisman
Headquarters,
Number of locations
61 (Indigo)
31 (Chapters)
63 (Coles)
17 (IndigoSpirit)
Key people
Heather Reisman (CEO)
Hugues Simard (CFO)
RevenueIncrease $1.079 billion CDN (2017)
Increase $25 million CDN (2017)
Decrease $21.8 million CDN (2017)
Total assetsIncrease $633.6 million CDN (2017)
OwnerGerry Schwartz(Controlling Shareholder)
Number of employees
7,000 (2017),[1]
DivisionsChapters
Coles Books
!ndigoSpirit
!ndigokids
!ndigotech
Websiteindigo.ca
Indigo Kids, Indigo Eaton Centre in December 2010
Indigo flagship store at Manulife Centre, Toronto
Indigospirit, Royal Bank Plaza, Toronto
IndigoTech at the Eaton Centre Indigo Store in April 2014

Indigo Books & Music Inc., known as "Indigo" and stylized "!ndigo", is Canada's only major English-language bookstore chain. It is Canada's largest book, gift, and specialty toy retailer, operating stores in all ten provinces and one territory, and through a website offering a selection of books, toys, home décor, stationery, and gifts. Most Chapters and Indigo stores include a Starbucks café inside. As of 2022, Indigo has started selling music (vinyl, CDs), and select audio equipment (headphones, turntables).

At the end of its fiscal year in March 2018, the company reported a record annual revenue surpassing CAD $1 billion. As of July 1, 2017, the company operated 86 superstores under the banners Chapters and Indigo and 123 small format stores, under the banners Coles, Indigospirit, and The Book Company.[2] Indigo is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and employed more than 7,000 people throughout Canada.[3]

After a series of mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian bookstore industry, Indigo stands as Canada's last remaining national bookstore chain. In late 2017, announcements were made to expand to the United States, starting with a location in The Mall at Short Hills in Millburn, New Jersey.[4][5]

  1. ^ Indigo - 2018 Annual Report, Retrieved August 17, 2018
  2. ^ "2018 Annual Report" (PDF). indigo.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  3. ^ Won, Craig (7 July 2016). "Indigo plans massive store renovations". Toronto Star. p. B1.
  4. ^ "Indigo Books says it's planning its first U.S. expansion next summer". Toronto Star. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  5. ^ Shaw, Hollie (2 November 2017). "As retail rivals retreat, Indigo Books plans five U.S. stores in next two years". Financial Post. Retrieved 3 June 2018.