New Material Books in the West Bottoms neighborhood of Kansas City, Mo., will close at the end of November, citing challenging bookstore economics and the need for more funding. The Star reported that owners Hannah Griffin and Brandan Griffin opened in 2024 as a pop-up and online bookstore before debuting their bricks-and-mortar shop on the seventh floor of the historic Livestock Exchange Building. The bookshop features a small, curated selection from around the world focusing on topics such as art, design, theory, hybrid works, fiction, and poetry.
In a recent social media post, the Griffins wrote: "We don't exactly know what's next, but due to a few factors it's time to move on from our current formulation. We love being in the Livestock Exchange Building very much. We have a beautiful sunlit space where we've gathered readers, writers, and artists. We are so thankful for all the people we've met and the joy we've seen our books bring visitors.
"Ultimately, though, New Material Books needs a more traditional storefront space. It also needs to be open throughout the week. The flip side of this is that the store needs significant funding. We established NMB as a business that we hoped would eventually allow us to devote ourselves to doing something we love--bringing interesting books from around the world to everyone who is interested in them. But bookstore economics are tricky, and it may make more sense to think of NMB as an arts organization that requires external funding to maintain its offerings.... We're very sad to close this chapter, but life only moves forward, and we're ready for what's next. More soon."