Crow Bookshop - Crow Books — Local services in Burlington

I’d like to be very forward. I myself work in a book store and as a bookworm myself I’m always excited to visit new places, and I know my experience was individual, so it most likely will not apply to others. As a human who can appreciate books, this store was a cozy little haven right on church street, and if my experience went differently I would absolutely come back to this store, but unfortunately, my experience here was not pleasant. I have been diagnosed with intense social anxiety which causes me to have physical reactions such as tics and twitches when I’m in situations that are stressful or I’m feeling intense emotion. On a crowded street like church street with no masks, my anxiety had increased and I was ticking throughout my browsing through the store, I was also diagnosed with OCD recently, and one of my compulsive habits is to read things twice so I don’t forget them. I also had neglected to take medicine I had needed that morning, which is my fault, but the withdrawal effects cause drowsiness, which I believe was something which had lead to my experience in the store. At one point when I was looking at a section, I saw one of the employees with another person, looking at me and whispering to each other. They were kind of staring at me, so I smiled, trying to be polite, and I heard the woman say “that’s her” to the man. After that point, the two of them were loudly whispering about me, just a couple feet away, obviously thinking I was intoxicated in some way talking about calling child services, and mentioning that I was hyper fixating on titles, when really I was just reading everything twice. I had tried to just ignore them, even though I was pretty uncomfortable, and walk into the second room but they had followed me, and I attempted to continue browsing. I became really uncomfortable when they started looking at books, and when I looked over at them, the woman said that “she’s onto us”, or something along the lines of that, and so I went over to the friend that I had come with. And the woman had said “she’s with a friend”. I was incredibly frustrated and anxious, so I was ticking more, and after that point my friend had purchased a few books and we left. I am not one to write reviews. I haven’t before this point. But this experience was so embarrassing and frustrating to me that I felt I had to write about it. The bookstore itself was absolutely lovely, and I’m so disappointed with the attention I had received in the store. Honestly, if you’re looking for a quality store with good authors and a nice selection, they’ve got it, but personally I will not be revisiting this location. I was there to buy books, not be profiled by an employee who had assumed I was intoxicated. I’m a minor. I’m applying to college. Drugs and alcohol would heavily mess with my medication. I am interested in pursuing political science, and I most certainly would not wouldn’t risk my future to be high in...

My wife and I stopped by Crow Bookshop on Church Street in Burlington for our first visit and I am happy to say it made a charming first impression. Nestled in the pedestrian-only stretch of Church Street Marketplace, it’s a cozy gem that feels both modern and vintage, with hardwood floors, brick walls, rolling ladders, and window-filled storefronts.

Crow offers a balanced mix of new, used, and overstock titles across a wide variety of genres, fiction, classics, cookbooks, sci‑fi, gardening, graphic novels, psychology, Vermont-themed works, children’s books, and more. While I didn’t find the specific books I was hoping for, my wife was thrilled to discover several titles she’d been eyeing.

The staff were friendly and attentive, casual yet helpful without hovering. We didn’t have to hunt them down; they greeted us at checkout and offered assistance when asked. The relaxed, personable approach added to the welcoming feel of the shop.

Pricing is reasonable: used and remaindered books are typically priced at around half cover, and new hardcovers carry a 20% discount - children’s hardcovers get 15% off. We found the discounts generous and the mix of new and used made it easy to shop within budget.

Don’t expect sprawling aisles, Crow has two long rooms, including a dedicated children’s nook filled with picture books and early readers. The shop feels intimate yet organized, with staff picks and local-interest shelves adding a thoughtful touch. A small stage in the back hints at occasional events.

Crow Bookshop is a delightful, well-curated indie bookstore. Though I missed out on my haul, my wife’s finds more than made up for it, and the visit itself was a pleasant experience. With great selection, solid pricing, and friendly service, it’s a must-stop when wandering...

Tourists Beware: Me and my family are visiting Burlington Vt. I went into this horrible used bookstore as a person of color, and was racially profiled because I had a bookbag with bags. I was not greeted at all when I walked in the door , but then I heard a voice saying "can you leave your bags at the door" my response was I absolutely will not, and then I proceeded to the front counter to inquire about a book to see if they carried it. The person at the front counter was shocked that I rejected her request to leave my bags at the front counter, and then I told her that I was only here inquiring on one book in particular. The person at the front counter was Caucasian of course, she proceeded to ask me what book with a major attitude, this made me think about the local news that I had just watched regarding the downtown church street businesses crying to the mayors office regarding their failing businesses, so I mentioned this to the rude employee and said to her " didn't all the businesses on church pen the mayor of Burlington a letter regarding it's failing businesses? I proceeded to tell this not so smart rude girl "maybe it's the way you treat people that made your businesses fail" and when I said that she said "you can leave now" I started smiling and laughing and responded back to her by saying byeee and I hope your business continues to fail! I left and went to Google reviews to only find similar complaints on this establishment! Furthermore who is going to steal from a used bookstore anyways? And do what exactly with the used books lmao? This company is clearly failing due to poor customer service, racial profiling, and outrageous prices for...