FIRST ON RADAR: Big Bad Wolf eyes 24/7 bookstore in the Philippines

The round-the-clock bookstore concept has found success in Malaysia, where Big Bad Wolf operates The Library by BookXcess.

The Philippines may soon get its own 24/7 bookstore, following the success of Big Bad Wolf Books’ round-the-clock concept in Malaysia.

Organizers of the book fair Big Bad Wolf Manila 2026 teased the project at a media event on September 29. Event partners Tim Yap and Charmaine Palermo are leading plans for the 24/7 shop, which is targeted for launch next year.

During the launch, organizers said opening the Philippines’ first 24-hour bookstore is the end goal of the project, starting with the book sale.

The proposed bookstore has yet to have a location, with radar Business learning that construction plans are still being discussed.

The Philippine project takes its cue from The Library by BookXcess, a retail store under Big Bad Wolf Books that is touted as Southeast Asia’s largest 24/7 bookstore. The 38,000-square-foot space houses many reading corners and work tables, along with a smoothie stand and a bakery. The Library opened in December 2025 at Sunway Square Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The concept also builds on Big Bad Wolf’s experience holding 24-hour book fairs. When the company held its first Philippine fair in 2018, the sale was open 24 hours from February 16 to 25 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. More recent iterations of the book fair were either limited to mall hours or open until 1 AM at the latest.

Big Bad Wolf Books executive director Jacqueline Ng said the Malaysia-based company owns the concept, but the potential success of the 24/7 bookstore in the Philippines will depend on finding the right audience.

“The location that we’re at [in Malaysia] actually serves quite a few universities nearby (…) so to us, that space allows them a safe environment as well,” Ng said in an interview with the media.

Ng said the Philippines is typically Big Bad Wolf Books’ second-largest market after Indonesia, among the nine different countries where the book fair has been held, posing a ripe opportunity for a 24/7 bookstore concept for readers who may want to drop by after work hours.

“[The Philippines] is a huge market and the readership is very high here, we just have to learn how to manage the cost because [local] costing is quite high,” she said.

For now, the plan remains in development, with the location and other details still to be worked out. If it pushes through, the Philippine bookstore would extend Big Bad Wolf’s 24-hour book-sale experience into a permanent space where readers can browse and read at any hour.

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