Album Librairies
Album Librairies is a Paris-based specialty bookstore chain founded in 1981 operating four stores in the 5th arrondissement under Album Comics, Momie Mangas, Momie BD, and Momie Toys, plus the albumcomics.com e-commerce site. It sells comics, manga, French BD, and collectibles, differentiated by limited-run exclusive jaquettes produced with major publishers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Album Librairies does
Album Librairies (legal entity: Album.fr) is a privately held Paris-based specialty bookstore chain founded in 1981 that operates four co-located retail storefronts in the city's 5th arrondissement (Latin Quarter) under distinct sub-brands: Album Comics (67 boulevard St Germain), Momie Mangas Paris (55 & 38 rue St Jacques), Momie BD Paris (8 rue Dante), and Momie Toys Paris. The company sells comics, graphic novels, manga, French bande dessinée, and collectible toys/figures, with a customer base composed of adult collectors, manga/anime enthusiasts, BD readers, and pop-culture hobbyists.
The company's primary differentiator is its "Édition Momie" exclusive-edition program — limited-run alternative covers (jaquettes) produced in partnership with major French and international publishers including Delcourt, Kurokawa, Kana, Panini, Taifu Comics, Astrolabe, and Dargaud. Editions are typically capped between 600 and 2,000 copies and frequently include signed extras such as ex-libris or graphic notebooks. The chain is also an active host of author and artist signing events (dédicaces), cinemasterclasses, and themed in-store events, and participates in major conventions such as Japan Expo and Free Comic Book Day.
Album Librairies monetizes almost entirely through transactional one-time retail sales — in-store at the four Paris locations and online via the albumcomics.com e-commerce site, with nationwide French delivery and some international shipping. A recurring layer was added through the "Client Privilège" annual subscription loyalty program. The business has no disclosed funding, is not publicly listed, and has no explicit technology, AI, or platform architecture beyond the standard e-commerce stack. As of the input, the firm employs approximately 33 people and has no disclosed revenue figure.
Album Librairies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Album Librairies
- Legal name
- Album.fr
- Website
- https://album.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Album Librairies is a Paris-based specialty bookstore chain founded in 1981 operating four stores in the 5th arrondissement under Album Comics, Momie Mangas, Momie BD, and Momie Toys, plus the albumcomics.com e-commerce site. It sells comics, manga, French BD, and collectibles, differentiated by limited-run exclusive jaquettes produced with major publishers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Album Librairies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Bookstore (Comics, Manga, BD, and Collectibles Retail)
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF)
Keywords
Where Album Librairies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Album Librairies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Sales - Physical Stores: In-store sales of comics, manga, French BD (bande dessinée), graphic novels, and collectible toys across four Paris locations.
- E-commerce Sales: Online sales through albumcomics.com for domestic delivery across France and international shipments.
- Exclusive Editions and Jaquettes: Limited-edition alternative covers (jaquettes Momie, jaquettes Album Comics) sold as premium versions of manga and comics, often with author signatures, generating higher-margin incremental revenue.
- Event Pack Sales: Dédicace (signing) packs combining books with event attendance, sold online and in-store for meet-and-greet events with authors and artists.
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels11 records
Album Librairies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Album Librairies sells comics, manga, French bande dessinée (BD), graphic novels, and collectible toys/figures through four specialty retail stores in Paris and the albumcomics.com e-commerce platform. The company produces exclusive limited-edition alternative covers (Momie jaquettes and Album Comics jaquettes) in partnership with publishers such as Delcourt, Kurokawa, Panini Comics, Kana, and Taifu Comics, typically limited to 600–2,000 copies and frequently featuring author signatures, ex-libris, or graphic extras. It also hosts in-store author signing events (dedicaces), manages pre-order services for upcoming releases, and maintains segmented newsletters alerting customers to new titles and events.
Product overview
Album Librairies operates a network of four specialized retail stores in Paris under the brands Album Comics, Momie Mangas Paris, Momie BD Paris, and Momie Toys Paris, plus an online e-commerce platform (Albumcomics.com). The company specializes in comics, manga, French bande dessinée, and action figures/collectibles. Its key differentiator is the Édition Momie exclusive limited-edition releases featuring alternative covers (jaquettes Momie) created in partnership with major publishers like Delcourt, Kurokawa, and Panini Comics. The company also hosts signing events (dédicaces) with authors and artists, and participates in major conventions like Japan Expo and Free Comic Book Day.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Album Comics (retail store) Specialty comic book store at 67 boulevard St Germain, Paris 5e, selling American comics, graphic novels, and English-language editions, and organizing signing events with comic artists.
- Momie Mangas Paris (retail store) Manga specialty store at 55 and 38 rue St Jacques, Paris 5e, offering French-edition manga titles across genres (shonen, shoujo, seinen, yaoi/yuri), exclusive Momie jaquettes (alternative covers), and pre-order services for upcoming releases.
- Momie BD Paris (retail store) French bande dessinée (BD) specialty store at 8 rue Dante, Paris 5e, featuring contemporary and genre Franco-Belgian comics and graphic novels, with author signing events.
- Momie Toys Paris (retail store) Specialty store for action figures (SH Figuarts, Blokees), model kits, and pop culture collectibles tied to anime, manga, and comics franchises, located at the manga store addresses in Paris 5e.
- Albumcomics.com (E-commerce platform) Online retail platform for the Album Librairies network, offering nationwide delivery across France of comics, manga, BD, toys, exclusive editions, pre-orders, and event packs, with international shipments available.
- Édition Momie (Momie Editions) Exclusive limited-edition product line featuring alternative covers (jaquettes Momie) for manga and BD titles. Editions are limited to 600–2,000 copies, often including signed extras such as ex-libris or graphic notebooks, produced in partnership with publishers including Delcourt, Kurokawa, Astrolabe, Taifu Comics, Kana, and Panini Comics.
- Jaquette Album Comics (Album Comics Alternative Covers) Exclusive alternative cover product line for comic book releases, signed by artists during special signing events. Limited editions created in partnership with publishers such as Panini Comics (e.g., Nemesis Forever signed by Matteo Scalera).
- Dédicaces (Author Signing Events) Ticketed author and artist signing events hosted in-store featuring comic book creators, manga artists, and pop culture figures, with sold event packs combining the signed book with attendance.
- Pre-order Service (Précommandes) Pre-order reservation service for upcoming manga and comic releases, including exclusive editions, allowing customers to secure copies before general availability through the e-commerce platform and in-store.
- Client Privilège (Privilege Customer Subscription Program) Annual paid subscription program offering members exclusive advantages and benefits through the albumcomics.com online store.
Companies that use Album Librairies
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Album Librairies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Album Librairies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Panini ComicsminorFrench distributor of Nemesis Forever (scenographed by Mark Millar, drawn by Matteo Scalera). Album Comics created exclusive signed jaquettes for this title.
- Delcourt (publisher)corePartnership with French manga publisher Delcourt for Japan Expo convention presence and exclusive Delcourt jaquettes (alternative covers) sold at the store and online. Delcourt Hall 5A Place C570 at Japan Expo.
- Kurokawa (publisher)corePartnership with French manga publisher Kurokawa for Japan Expo convention presence and exclusive Kurokawa jaquettes sold at the store and online. Kurokawa & Kotoon at Hall 5A Place D554 at Japan Expo.
- Kotoon (publisher)minorCo-partnership with Kotoon at Kurokawa's Japan Expo stand for manga publishing and exclusive releases.
- Astrolabe (publisher)minorNew publishing house for Pourpre-Sang: Le Cercle de Nimuée, with Momie edition partnership featuring graphic extras and signed ex-libris.
- Delcourt - Waves CollectionminorMomie BD actively promotes and sells titles from Delcourt's Waves collection, a YA/coming-of-age line featuring contemporary themes and diverse characters.
- Dargaud - Combo CollectionminorMomie BD features and recommends titles from Dargaud's Combo collection, which updates classic genre fiction with contemporary perspectives and diverse representation.
- Taifu ComicsminorPublisher of Bride of Ignat yaoi one-shot. Momie Mangas created exclusive limited Momie jaquette (600 copies) for this title.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Album Librairies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon: Dominant generalist e-commerce platform and the largest online competitor for non-exclusive comics, manga, BD, and toy SKUs in France. Competes primarily on price and delivery speed, not curation or exclusive editions.
- Cultura: French broad-line hobby, books, and lifestyle retailer with a sizeable comics and manga section. Overlaps with Album on standard catalog but lacks the genre-specialized sub-brands and exclusive-edition program.
- Fnac: France's largest broad-line entertainment and book retailer, carrying a significant BD, manga, and comics assortment. Competes with Album on standard catalog SKUs but does not match its specialty curation or exclusive-edition depth.
Direct peers
- Kinokuniya: Global Japanese bookstore chain with deep manga, light novel, and pop-culture merchandise assortments across the US, Europe, and Asia. Comparable on manga specialization, exclusive editions, and event programming, primarily in non-French geographies.
- Midtown Comics: Largest US specialty comic retailer with multiple NYC storefronts and a strong exclusive variant-cover program. Highly comparable model — multi-store specialty retail combined with exclusive publisher collaborations and event programming.
- BD Fugue: French online-first specialty retailer focused on bande dessinée, manga, and comics with nationwide delivery. Closely comparable e-commerce-first approach to albumcomics.com, with deep BD/manga assortment and pre-order services.
- Forbidden Planet: Largest UK-based specialty retailer of comics, manga, graphic novels, and pop-culture collectibles. Closely comparable to Album Librairies on assortment, exclusive-edition strategy, and event-driven community engagement, though operating in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Album Librairies social profiles
Digital presenceAlbum Librairies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Album Librairies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Album Librairies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Album Librairies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Album Librairies
What does Album Librairies do?
Album Librairies sells comics, manga, French bande dessinée (BD), graphic novels, and collectible toys/figures through four specialty retail stores in Paris and the albumcomics.com e-commerce platform. The company produces exclusive limited-edition alternative covers (Momie jaquettes and Album Comics jaquettes) in partnership with publishers such as Delcourt, Kurokawa, Panini Comics, Kana, and Taifu Comics, typically limited to 600–2,000 copies and frequently featuring author signatures, ex-libris, or graphic extras. It also hosts in-store author signing events (dedicaces), manages pre-order services for upcoming releases, and maintains segmented newsletters alerting customers to new titles and events.
Is Album Librairies a public or private company?
Album Librairies is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Album Librairies founded?
Album Librairies was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Album Librairies based?
Album Librairies is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Album Librairies make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales - Physical Stores are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, exclusive Editions and Jaquettes and event Pack Sales.
Who are Album Librairies's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon, Cultura and Fnac. Direct peers are Kinokuniya, Midtown Comics, BD Fugue and Forbidden Planet.
Does Album Librairies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Album Librairies.
What industry is Album Librairies in?
Album Librairies's product category is Specialty Bookstore (Comics, Manga, BD, and Collectibles Retail). Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAAAF, Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail. Its NAICS code is 45921 and its SIC code is 5945.