Half Price Books Announces Purchase of Austin Buildings,
Cementing Retailer’s Presence in Austin Market
AUSTIN – Jan. 15, 2026 – Half Price Books, the nation’s largest
family-owned new and used bookstore chain, has purchased the building located at 2607 S. 1st Street in
Austin,
and will move it’s South Lamar store to this location later this year.
A groundbreaking took place Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Left to right: Monica Schultz, Texas regional manager, Half Price Books; Amanda Jones, store
manager, Half Price
Books; Kathy Doyle Thomas, president, Half Price Books; Milton Hime, owner-architect, Studio8
Architects; Becky
Morlier, Austin district manager, Half Price Books; Daniel Bachelier, architect, Studio8 Architects
“Half Price Books has been in the Austin market since 1975, so we’ve been in this region almost as long as
the
company has existed,” said Kathy Doyle Thomas, president of Half Price Books. “With the ever-changing real
estate market, we felt it was important to make this building purchase so we knew we’d have a permanent
presence
in this important, growing city.”
Construction of the South 1st Street building will start in January, with plans to open later in the spring.
“We’re excited to become established in this part of Austin and look forward to becoming ingrained in the
community for years to come,” Thomas continued.
In addition to this building, Half Price Books has also purchased a building at 6411 North Lamar, and will
move
Half Price Books North Lamar there at a future date. The bookstore chain has also purchased buildings in San
Antonio and Pittsburgh and will relocate stores to these buildings in 2026.
Caption: Rendering of new Half Price Books South 1st Street store. (Studio8 Architects)
About Half Price Books
Half Price Books is the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain with 115 retail locations in 19
states. Stores are open seven days a week and buy and sell new and used books, magazines, comics,
records,
CDs, DVDs and collectible items. Half Price Books has been dedicated to environmental and literacy
efforts
for more than 50 years and supports hundreds of local, national and international programs. Each year
the
company donates thousands of books to non-profit organizations and schools throughout the United States.
Half Price Books is a founding contributor to Laura Bush's National Book Festival, and a continuing
supporter of the National Center for Families Learning and Feed the Children. For more information about
Half Price Books, its store locations and corporate initiatives, please visit www.hpb.com, and follow us on
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads.
About Studio8 Architects
Studio8 Architects is a full-service architecture and interior design firm founded in Austin in 2003 and
in
San Antonio in 2011. Studio8 takes a collaborative approach to design forming an alliance with clients
that
is founded in the environment they create for themselves. They are experts at pairing people with places
and
known for process over style. Recipient of numerous design awards, Studio8 received the 2021 Firm
Achievement Award from the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Studio8 and its team
of
creatives, strategists and thinkers are committed to building equitable communities, sustainable design
and
people-centered architecture.
