Beattie & Forbes Booksellers has been trading as an independent bookshop for over 50 years, and carries an eclectic range of titles across fiction, non-fiction and everything in between. The shop is run by Megan and the Beattie & Forbes team, who describe their range as covering "a few of our favourite things" alongside the books themselves.
Beyond books, Beattie & Forbes specialises in gorgeous Cavallini puzzles and Cavallini poster wrap, along with New Zealand giftware from makers including Wolfcamp and Stone and Jo Luping. They also carry a fabulous selection of cards, making the shop a good stop for gifts as well as reading material.
Customers can shop online with Click & Collect, and can also purchase local book tokens as gifts. The team has also welcomed customers redirected from Plaza Books in Hastings, taking in date vouchers and pick-ups for their customer orders. Beattie & Forbes keeps in touch with customers through Facebook and Instagram, sharing reviews and news, and invites anyone who can't find what they're after to send a message so the team can look into it.
Beattie & Forbes Booksellers has been trading as an independent bookshop for more than 50 years, building up what the shop itself describes as "an eclectic range of titles" over that time. Today the business is run by Megan and the Beattie & Forbes team, who greet customers on their website with a warm "Kia Ora" and a genuine welcome to browse.
True to its long history, Beattie & Forbes stocks widely across genres — from fiction, fantasy and poetry to biography and memoir, history, politics and commentary, and books on Māori te reo, history and culture. There's a strong local flavour too, with dedicated sections for New Zealand titles, local history and biography, and books by local authors. Beyond fiction and history, the shop also carries cooking, gardening and sustainability, mind, body and spirit, science and nature, sport and hobbies, travel, and wine, beer and spirits titles, along with reference books and business and computing titles — the kind of broad, considered range you'd expect from a bookshop that has been curating stock for half a century.
What sets Beattie & Forbes apart is what sits alongside the books. The shop specialises in gorgeous Cavallini puzzles and Cavallini poster wrap, and stocks New Zealand giftware from makers including Wolfcamp and Stone and Jo Luping. There's also a fabulous selection of cards, along with stationery, calendars and diaries, and other quirky gift ideas — making the shop a genuine destination for gift buying, not just book browsing. For crafters, there's a dedicated Get Crafty range of craft books and patterns.
Beattie & Forbes has also stepped up to help customers of Plaza Books in Hastings, taking in date vouchers and pick-ups for their customer orders — a small but telling sign of the shop's role within the wider local bookselling community. Anyone redirected their way is encouraged to get in touch if they need help with anything.
The shop also offers local book tokens, a straightforward option for anyone after a gift that lets the recipient choose their own read.
Customers can browse and buy online, with a Click & Collect option for picking up in-store rather than waiting on delivery. If a customer can't find a particular title or item on the website, the team invites them to send a message so they can look into it — a personal touch that fits with the shop's long-standing, independent character.
Beattie & Forbes also keeps in regular contact with its community online, sharing reviews and news through Facebook and posting on Instagram as @beattieandforbes.
Beattie & Forbes is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm, and on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. On public holidays, the shop may open from 10am to 2pm, though it's worth checking ahead first, as the team notes this isn't guaranteed every public holiday. Whether you're after a specific title, a gift, or just want to browse a shop with more than 50 years of bookselling behind it, Beattie & Forbes offers an experience built on genuine local knowledge and a real love of books.