Its goal was "to serve equally the needs of researchers and the general public, and which, fairly looking after the interests of domestic publishing, working to establish faster and more secure links with the foreign book market".

[3] In 1901 the bookstore moved to a new location on the same street, enabling it to sell 1200 titles simultaneously.

The new owner soon moved it to the new Stockmann department store at Helsinki centre.

In 1969 a new 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft) location was established, where it still remains, at the Alvar Aalto-designed Kirjatalo.

[4][5] Previous locations included Joensuu, Jyväskylä (twice), Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Oulu, Vaasassa and Vantaa (closed in 2019).