I used to like this place several years ago, I really did. They allowed us to preview read books while we were there and never pressured us to buy anything. I like that there's a Starbucks located there and their clearance book sales are great. I enjoyed the recommended reads displays too. However, nowadays I do not feel I can support them or give a good rating. This particular chapters is discriminating against people with legitimate medical mask exemptions. These are folks who have a hard enough time being out in public and get harassed all day when going to a grocery store or other essential business. And now they're being told that their disability is a reason to exclude them from a space altogether. Does this company understand how that feels? I doubt it. Now don't get me wrong; if Chapters doesn't feel comfortable having people physically come in the store right now, they have every right to close! And if they are open they have a right to request mask wearing in their store. But this ableist discriminatory behavior is neither of these things. It's harmful. Either close your store and do online/pickup orders only (which is what they tell people who are refused entry to do), or be truly open and accept that the law allows and recognizes medical exemptions for a reason.

Like the other one star reviews have said, this store is cramped, has poor selection, and is in general a huge downgrade from their old Chapters location. I honestly don't think that I'll be back unless there's a major expansion/renovation for accessibility. If you can, just go to the Gloucester Centre or South Keys. They have better selection, better space for navigating, and better staff. __________________ Massive (lack of) accessibility red flags: Aisles are narrow and full of breakable pots/assorted decorative things. I don't think I've ever been quite so stressed moving around a store in my wheelchair. There are a lot of V-shaped areas that narrow into wheelchair lobster traps. There's no space to turn so you have to very, very, carefully back up without breaking any of the aforementioned decorative things. There's no elevator at all in the new store, despite still being split level. If you want to shop between floors, you'll have to use the mall elevators and have an associate (if you can find one) meet you with your things between levels. Bottom line: if you use a wheelchair/walker or have a young child in a stroller, just avoid this location like the plague; it's not worth it.

The current version has sort of become more of a gift shop lifestyle brand type thing with books as an auxiliary. It really bums me out that Indigo has come to this. I like a lot of the lifestyle-y stuff to be clear, but I miss this being an actual bookstore as more of a central thing. As things are with the books, they're sort of only in certain locations and it's always way more crowded than it should be because everyone seems to be concentrated around the books. The book aisles are also much more narrow, so anyone with a mobility aid trying to navigate that space is screwed over. I'm also disappointed that Indigo stopped carrying Hanukkah items around that season - they used to have a tiny token Hanukkah shelf when the season arose but now there is literally nothing at all. It's hard to see the largest bookstore in "Canada" come to this, but that's been said plenty.

I don't know why people are voting this Indigo as a one star. To me it's the customer service that matters. I had called in for a hard to find book. They had one copy left and the woman with the beautiful accent held on it for me. When I arrived I had asked the cashier if she had the book and she was short with me, saying they didn't hold on to books. I made another call and the woman with the beautiful accent brought it to me. This was almost a one star review but because of the woman who held on to the book for me, I give this place a five star. To the woman with the beautiful accent, thank you. You know who you are! To the cashier, learn some etiquette.

I absolutely loved their old location, but unfortunately, since they downsized to a smaller store inside Rideau center, it just isn't the same. Their selection of books has been massively reduced, and almost every time I go to shop there I cannot get what I wanted and have to order online whereas before I never had that problem. The store is nice, with an almost fancy/classy feel to it. The layout is a little hard to navigate with the shelves being so close together. You don't have room to browse without bumping into someone. I used to be able to spend hours at chapters browsing for books, but now I am almost always disappointed when I go.

I know I’m not the only one who misses the old location… this Indigo isn’t bad. The layout is clean (but small) and I always find the store fairly well organized. It will probably take you a handful of visits to actually know where your favourite sections are, but once you’re familiar it isn’t horrible. There is definitely less in stock than usual, so I tend to check online before making the adventure over. The best part about this location is the staff - always friendly, happy to see you, and willing to help you find what you need!!

I honestly just love chapters. Nice place, lighting, smell, cleanliness, and overall atmosphere always match the current season. Has a fairly good selection of books (sometimes more pricey even of they are not in demand surprisingly enough) both in the Children, young adult, and science sections. Still, their point system looks good and just engages the consumer. The staff are super friendly but during the holidays they seem almost rushed and understaffed, but they have some good discounts and offers. Also, Starbucks inside !!

Like any other chapters, it has a wide selection of books and some cute but over priced household decorative items. It is fun to browse, but do not come here for good prices. When I was buying a book, they asked me to donate to the indigo love of reading foundation. I said yes almost automatically and then asked what the foundation does. The cashier explained that it gives money to elementary schools so that they can buy books from chapters. I was shocked! I was basically just giving chapters more money.

A very disappointing addition to the Rideau centre. I loved Chapters and the old one on Rideau street was perfection, this new Indigo is just not the place to be. Employees were very kind, nothing against them but the store is set up very awkwardly, it’s very crowded and it’s just not a bookstore anymore (the romance section was particularly abysmal in my opinion). Why close down the best bookstore in Canada and open up what is essentially a home goods store that sells some books? Bring back Chapters.

Very helpful and friendly staff who are extremely willing to go out of their way to assist you in finding particular books, or making recommendations for similar reads when your reading list is rapidly becoming shorter. Layout is not designed so one can easily find specific books, however, to an avid reader this is of benefit because it necessitates exploration. The Starbucks is located just inside and to the right for convenient access, and the pleasant smell of coffee permeates the store well.

This place is great unless you are a horror fan. There are more toys and home decor then there are horror novels... The horror section is very, very small. Especially when considering a full third of the books in the section are Stephen King books... That aside the staff here are always super pleasant and very helpful. I'm always approached and asked if I need help almost as soon as I start browsing, one of the best Chapters (if not the best) service wise in my honest and humble opinion.

Store was clean and well organized. Shelves were well stocked, with a good variety of each author's works. To combat the high pre-set prices, there were lots of books on the sale tables for each genre, as well as offering up to 40% off new hard covers, and 2 for $15 on specific paperbacks. Lots of staff always willing to help. Lines were long but moved very quickly. Very friendly staff who remember to ask you for your rewards card and let you know when you're eligible for a discount

A two story book lover's shop. Lots of books to browse and a ton of gift options. I haven't seen so many lovely children's gifts- animated stuffed toys, puzzles, games...in one spot. These were high quality and the kind of things you know you'd love to have yourself...so they're going to be well received as gifts. And gift wrapping too! Even the wrapping paper was good quality - wasn't tearing at the corners or ripping as it was folded. Can't say enough about our experience there.

I love Chapters Indigo and I fell in love with this location. It is located in Bayward market. The store is spacious and well-organized. They have a great collection of fashion, books, outdoor décor, outdoor dining, accessories, kids collection, etc. Starbucks is located at the side of the store, but doesn't have a separate entrance. Before COVID-19 pandemic, you could enjoy your coffee or cold beverage and spend hours in the store surfing through books and buying accessories.

I absolutely love Chapters and it was always my favourite place to be but this new "Indigo" inside Rideau is awful in comparison. It's missing that feel-good feel to it. Its so bright and far too small to be enjoyable. The kids section is nothing compared to what we had at Chapters. They were even playing loud hip-hop rap and country music today. Usually, I love country music but not at a bookstore. It was irritating. It lacks so much :/ so disappointing.

I went to the Chapters on Rideau a few days ago but it seemed closed down and at the same time your website says you have been hacked? I'm hoping these two occurrences are each resolved but not connected, I'm hoping your building is only going through renovations and you will open it up again soon because it's practically a public service. For example, do you receive help in the form of any public funds? Can there be a group to reopen this bookstore?

staff was super friendly and down-to-earth, great experience :) love the christmas time blanket sale thing as well. great deal! edited to add without making a second review: staff member Jewel was very helpful in showing my friend book availability in store, and walking her through ordering through the store for pick-up. she made some recommendations that appealed perfectly to us, she knows the store and it’s products very well. beautiful name too!

So disappointed that this is the replacement for the Chapters across the street. I find it incredibly claustrophobic, it is so cramped in here. It’s hard to keep track of the people that you’re there with because the sight lines are so short. And, of course, the stock that they have continues to de-emphasize books in favour of decor and random lifestyle stuff. Major disappointment, would choose to visit any other location in the city over this one.

I really enjoy this location quite a bit. I find the staff to very attentive and knowledgeable. I always end up calling in advance and getting them to place a hold on a book for me. That way it saves me the energy of having to navigate the store. I always go to the cash, my book is ready, and I pay or it and I'm on my way. Also a great place to dive into a book, journal and reflect since there is a Starbucks within this chapters.

Great staff and service. I asked a kind gentleman to help me find some books and magazines and he led me right to the exact locations. I also ending up finding a lot of cool clearance items on the first floor facing George Street. Lots of cool things to choose from. I miss reading books and places like chapters need to stay in business for the people who enjoy reading something you can turn a page. Glad to have stopped by!

Really disappointed in the new locaion. Only a fraction of the books they had before, too much homeware. Kids selection is miniscule. It was hard to find something. Only one child managed to get a book. I didnt find much for myself so left empty-handed. My husband went the week before Christmas and also left without purchasing anything. Your customers resort to online ordering when in-person shopping is poor.

The new location in Rideau center is horrible, teeny tiny compared to the old location on Rideau st. Only a small fraction of books, the rest of the store is random homeware. Barely any seating and due to the new smaller size, they barely have and variety of books by the same author. My fave author typically has a spread of 27 books but this store only carries three books! Shop online or other locations.

I used to LOVE this store. It was the biggest Chapters I had ever been to, with more books that you could ever even look at. French section the size of a normal book store. They moved it into the mall last year apparently and now it is the WORST book store I have been to in my life. Whole sections just gone. I wanted to cry at the devastation. Don’t bother going here, you won’t find anything you want.

We miss Chapters. Chapters had way more focus on selling books, room and variety in each genre. This store seems to be more like a squishy gift shop. And i can usually not find the book im looking for in stores. Also I want to support stores like Indigo over Amazon. But when a book I'm looking for is a paperback and $20 on amazon vs. $35 in indigo, im forced to support Amazon :(

The layout is really cramped and full of delicate breakable home goods stacked upon each other and there’s practically no books compared to the previous chapters. There’s no books other than a handful of what’s most popular right now. It’s really odd. Such a weird thing to do. I went once and it was so stressful that I’ll never be back. Every time I pass by it, I roll my eyes.

Right in the middle of downtown Ottawa couldn't ask for a better location one downside though they open a bit late and the prices are a bit High mind you it's a brick-and-mortar store but it is my favorite place to do Christmas shopping because when you order things for Christmas time over the Internet things can go wrong plus it's just easier to get a gift card.

Cheerful sales clerk, there if you need help and rather not use the computers to search ( spotted at least 3 ), huge collection of books and even the French stuff has categories, which helps. Even has D&D manuals and solid maps, video game reference books and lotsa comics ! Ps: went there with my sister and met a few comic lovers that were nice to us

The staff are great and extremely helpful, but the new location is not set up for a positive or pleasant shopping experience. The floor is jam packed with merch and the aisles, for the most part, are quite narrow, making it awkward for browsing. Hopefully it’s just growing pains as they adjust to the new location during the busy holiday season …

Very friendly staff, perhaps the friendliest in the city... Clean and well laid out. It's not only a bookstore, there is so much more! Very spacious, which is good with the Holiday Season approaching. Here's a tip - they were offering a free adorable plush pouch to hold a gift card, with a minimum gift card purchase of $40. #trendy #localguide

Great selection of books, although you would only find approx 3-4 copies of a non-bestseller book. The discount section on the base floor was great, lots of hidden gems. Staff are helpful, but not pushy. Be sure to sign up for Plum Rewards, so promos will be easy to pick. Browsing around will make your 30-min intended schedule to a 4-hour one.

I went recently to indigo very clean a great sitting area to read , I ask for some assistance for certain Mangas and this guy I think is name was Ethan help me and my partner out a lot and answered all of our questions and it was very pleasant to shop there and even the lady down stairs that day was very friendly & cheerful …

Gigantic store with tons of books to choose from. There’s two floors and there’s stuff to see in every corner. The main floor also has a good sized home decor section. The second floor has an American Girl area, as well as a toy area, and bathrooms. It was quite difficult finding employees to help, but overall, the store is great

I just don’t understand why you’d move a perfectly fine bookstore to a cramped mall space. The book selection is incredibly small now, with philosophy section filled with almost nothing but stoicism. The only redeeming quality is how helpful the staffs are. Such a shame. How many different copies of The Prince do you need.

Wonderful bookstore! Book layout was fantastic throughout multiple floors, categorized by Genre followed by Author. Impressive selection! Had the entire series of 14 books that I was looking for with multiples of each in stock! Very friendly & welcoming staff, smiles all around! Could ask for nothing else from a bookstore

The store is enormous and was confusing to navigate at first, but the store employees helped make it much easier to understand the layout and made it so much easier to find what i was looking for. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, also very courteous and kind when helping a customer find what they are looking for.

Impressive store. A wide variety of things that you need not only for yourself but also in your home. Not to mention, there is a lot of eco friendly items that you can buy from the shop which I like the most. They have tons of items on sale too. I just bought a book that will definitely make my rest days interesting.

I love visiting this Chapters and just spending hours browsing the many bookshelves and home decor items. You're guaranteed to discover a great find here, especially from the sale shelves. The staff are always so welcoming and have gone so out of their way to help me with my questions every time I've visited.

Great store that is 2 levels - huge selection of books! Had a nice time here and the staff were super friendly. Will definitely return when I visit Ottawa again. Great bonus is that it is located really close to the Byward Market, a nice place to grab a coffee and browse for books after walking around there!

Great store, nice and big, right in the market. Tons of selection plus they have great sales on popular best sellers (including a number of shelves which are 40% off). Staff is over-the-top helpful. You can even grab a book and just sit at the table and read it. Plus there's a Starbucks in here. Jackpot.

Anyone that goes into this store knows how great the service is and even during Covid19 it's great! All the books you want, great kid games/books/toys and clothes! They have some of their Xmas candles available! Delicious smelling! Fun place to shop including diving into their books on sale.

Very good place for all sorts of books, but not just books. You can also find all kinds of desk/office things here you didn't think you needed until you saw them. Customer service is A+ and they have a Starbucks next to the entry. They don't have the widest selection of manga books though.

This location cannot compare to the Chapters on Rideau. I won't be coming here due to the way smaller book selection, it seems like more of best selling gift shop. It feels so cramped inside and overall atmosphere isn't appealing. This rating is no reflection to the staff who were nice.

Nice organization of the book collections, regular sales (last time I bought 2 novels for 2$), unique gifts and souvenirs, many games for kids at the second floor. The staff is very attentive and helpful! There is also a Starbucks counter with a few coffee tables close to the entrance.

A lightweight bookstore for teens and their moms. Manga, cooking, celebrities. I miss the Chapters on Rideau. The former Chapters was great. It covered controversial politics to poker. It had a massive fiction section of all styles and the store catered to a variety of interests.

Great collection of books. Everything you need and everything you could read. They have few non-book sections as well like new born accessories, clothes etc. Few stationary items and few home decor related this too but it's known for its books and that's why I go there. Cheers.

Who doesn’t love coming here to browse their seasonal and Knick knacks sections. I love that they carry brands that aren’t available in Ottawa as standalone stores and that are typically only online for us; it’s nice to be able to see those products in person before buying.

One of the best Chapters stores! Staff was so helpful in finding the last item in stock! Such a great customer service experience! Found exactly what I was looking for even though it's like finding a needle in a haystack when it's the last one in such a large book store !

A large selection of everything from toys to books. We had trouble locating a book and several staff members were very eager to help us try and track it down. Turns out they didn't have it, but they were able to give us some timeframe of when they can expect more.

Wonderful! You can find great things for household, toys, books, beauty or even souvenirs. I love the bibles they sell there. Good value. But be prepared because everything else is pricey. Sometimes you may find similar items on Etsy or Amazon for lower prices.

Brutal. Staff are friendly and doing their best but the store is a mess, hard to find anything. Signage not always visible, some shelves too high and not enough staff to assist. So claustrophobic. More "stuff" front and centre than books. Really disappointing.

lovely place. I bought "The story of art". nice staffs, good collections of books. I would spend more time reading more books and perhaps eventually purchase some but too tired to stand reading so many books. Hope they put more chairs at coners of the store.

Really enjoyed my stop over at this Chapters. The staff were incredibly friendly and did an amazing job helping me find a book I would enjoy. The store was very clean and well stocked as well. If you're looking for your next book this is the place to go!

It's usually pretty crowded but what can you expect from a downtown location right on Rideau? Other than that the store is great. I always love going to any chapters. Great selection of books and lots of cool knickknacks. The kids section is impressive.

I love chapters! I always hope in and look around a bit, find all kinds of fun books and games to buy. The staff is informative, and the prices are competitive. Usually end up spending way to much time in here though, as I love books. Thank you so much!

Yes, buying books is expensive... Normally when I go to chapters, I leave empty handed. However, the ambiance (including the Starbucks) is a nice place to hang out. Good to kill time browsing through all the books. Staff is super friendly and helpful.

Good location, with large selection of books. Can get crowded in the lower floor. As usual, presence of a Starbucks is useful. Would not go out of my way to come here, but if you are already around Rideau and looking for books this is a good place.

This place’s book selection is awful. They have no good books, no new releases and there is more home and decor than books. Staff is always good but Chapters was much better. Was really disappointed with the organization of everything. …

Strictly worse in comparison to the previous Chapters store for anyone looking for books. In particular, the Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Manga sections have been gutted, and the organization of the store makes finding what they do have a challenge.

I had THE MOST amazing interaction with a Chapters/Indigo team member. Desiree was incredibly helpful and witty, very engaging. She told some great stories and went above and beyond in helping me find some new reads! Thanks, Desiree!

I have loved this location since its opening. Two floors of books and gifts. Large section of baby gifts and upstairs there is a large children's section. E-readers and other electronic accessories as well as cards and chocolates!

This store is CROWDED. And I don’t mean with people…. It is overstuffed and the shopping experience is not an enjoyable one. I greatly enjoy Indigo, but this store is just not true to vibe. And disappointing as it’s brand new :(

The staff is always friendly. Even when you know exactly what you want, it's worth taking the extra minute to ask them a question - you can tell they LOVE their jobs! I order items for store pickup mostly for this reason

it’s alright but is a huge downgrade from the chapters that closed across the street. It feels cluttered and the books section is small with cheep shelves only displaying trendy books from tiktok. i was greatly disappointed

If you require any mobility assistance device (wheelchair, walker, etc) you are not welcome here. There is no space to move and you must leave the store entirely in order to safely move between the store’s two levels.

First time I go to a Chapter's and don't buy a book. The store feels crowded and disorganized. Not an enjoyable experience. We use to love Chapter's for the open space and wide variety. Now it just feel like a mess.

Great selection of books and clean store. Large selection of games and other accessories you would find at a Chapters. Great staff with lots of knowledge of store. I did a return and it was very simple and easy!

I always love a trip to the bookstore, and the staff at this location are always so nice. I was able to find everything I needed and I even went back a few days later to get a journal that had caught my eye.

Amazing space and a decent quality of on-site books available. The staff are top-notch, and who knows, asking one of them for a reading recommendation just might nab you your next all-time favorite reads.

It was a new store but the aisles were narrow and hard to get around with a stroller. Only escalators to get to second level so had to go into the mall to use elevator and walk a good bit to get there.

They always have what I'm looking for. The staff is attentive and fast. The graphic novel section is small, but they have essentials. Same goes for the fiction section. Lots of tills for a quick pay.

Very large chapters with a huge selection of home essentials. I went to find mangas and they had the newest. If your in Ottawa, definitely go look around. You'll not come out empty handed.

Among hundreds of kids books, I had to spend almost an hour trying to find one or two without an evangelical woke message or age-inappropriate details. Felt like I was in a cult library

It's a huge store and can be overwhelming to look at sometimes. But it is amazing to see and they have so many books there! The area can be sketchy at times but staff is very friendly.

It's a great store, filled to the top with new books each week! Selection is amazing! However it would be nice to have the Rideau Street entrance open, and avoid going down Sussex..

Since their re location to Rideau Centre their selection of books and set up is not has good as their previous location in the byward market. .

I loved it, we found many books for good prices. There is a starbucks there in case you like to sip coffee surrounded by books.

Love it here. Very friendly and helpful staff. Nice selection of books and other home essentials. Love the sale section, too!

Not longer having a listing of periodicals is unacceptable Heather. As is the excuse "They're a 3rd Party Vendor".

This store is so small and sad compared to the former Chapters store it replaced. Truly disappointing.

It has pretty much everything. Its a lovely store both home decor and more importantly for books!

I asked for a bag and the cashier started banging my book around and giving the silent treatment.

Nice store they have opened up in the Rideau Centre. Much more home decor, which I appreciate.

One of the more inviting indigos out there. Some areas to sit down and read which is nice

I dont really like books, but it has a nice escalator would reccomend

Good book selection. Beautiful store with lovely decors.

Large selection of books but not good on book deals

French options downstairs! Two floors?! So cool!

Great place and great customer service. Clean.

Good location. Big store. Good collection.

Nice place to go