A new comics specialty bookstore, L'Arche BD, is set to open in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, offering nearly 7,000 references in a culturally diverse border region.
New comics bookstore in Saint-Genis-Pouilly
The Pays de Gex region in the Ain department is set to welcome a new specialty comics bookstore, L'Arche BD, which will open in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, a town with around 15,000 residents. Booksellers with prior experience
The bookstore is being established by Aurélie Turmine, Sébastien Ferragut, and Billel Hadji, who previously worked together at Arts frontières in Ferney-Voltaire. They are now opening their own store in a border area with Switzerland, a region where books are not sold at a single fixed price. Store location and layout
L'Arche BD, labeled as Canal BD, will be located in the heart of Saint-Genis-Pouilly, between the media library and the theater. The store will occupy 80 square meters of sales space and include a terrace, with a design featuring exposed stones and arches. Design and branding
The graphic charter for the store was imagined by Thibaud Pages, and the avatars of the booksellers were created by Loui, a mangaka known for the series Red flower (Glénat). The third volume of this series is set to release on January 20. Inventory and focus
The store plans to offer nearly 7,000 references at its opening, with nearly half of the space dedicated to new releases. The team aims to blend different categories, as they see the boundaries between comics, manga, and youth literature as permeable. Long-term vision
The booksellers emphasize a long-term approach, aiming to focus on the "long time of novelty" rather than immediate trends, and they want to create a welcoming environment for their customers, including access to the terrace.
