Encore Books was a regional chain of bookstores based in the eastern United States until its closure in 1999.
Encore Books was started by David Schlessinger, who went on to found the Zany Brainy and Five Below retail chains.
By the time of its closure, the 50 Encore Books locations were owned by Lauriat's, a 127-year-old company based in Canton, Massachusetts.
A leveraged buyout, rapid expansion, and difficulty working with publishers due to competition from Borders and Barnes & Noble had forced the company into bankruptcy.
However, the company operated two large stores, dubbed Encore Books and Music—complete with a music section, plush chairs, and a coffee shop—in Princeton, New Jersey, and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.