[신화망 베이징 4월27일] As reading habits change in the digital age and online e-commerce dominates the book retail market, offline bookstores face a major crisis.
While some bookstores are sticking to their original appearance, there are also bookstores quietly seeking transformation, putting the value of offline bookstores in the spotlight again.
◇Offline bookstore operation is full of challenges
According to the ’20th National Reading Survey’, the tendency to enjoy digital reading has become stronger among Chinese adults, and mobile reading has become the mainstay. These days, ‘e-books’ are more welcomed, with less than half of adults choosing ‘paper books’.
When a post asking “Why don’t you try to read paper books?” was posted on a knowledge sharing community, netizens responded, “E-books can be read anywhere, including subways and crowded buses.” “After work, I only want to read short-form books. I want to read books.” He replied, “I can’t think about it.”
As reading habits change, offline bookstores have been hit hard by online e-commerce.
According to the data, over the past year, short-form e-commerce has grown to become the second largest book sales channel after platform e-commerce. The market share of offline bookstores fell to 11.93%. Sanse, an industry veteran, analyzed that the low-cost live broadcast model is having a significant impact on offline bookstore sales. Some officials said that online book prices are on average 20% cheaper than offline books.
It is also true that some bookstores cannot meet consumer demand in terms of book types, service quality, and environment.
The manager of an offline bookstore in Tianjin said that because operating costs such as rent are high, coffee, goods, and light meals must be introduced through the ‘Book+’ operating model to break even.
◇The path of change, where to start?
In recent years, offline bookstores have been experiencing unprecedented changes.
Ai Limin (艾立民), chairman of the China Publication Publishers Association, said that changes in offline bookstores are occurring in ‘four aspects.’ In other words, it is changing from a simple place to sell books to a place to provide reading services, from a store to a reading space, from offline to the convergence of online and offline, and from unified management to diversified management.
Over the past two years, the number of customers visiting offline bookstores has been gradually increasing.
Sans said, “Offline, direct contact occurs between products, services, and consumers.” He added that offline bookstores are a place for reading and socializing that connects people with people, books, authors, and activities, which is impossible in a virtual online space.
The ‘2024 China Bookstore Competition’ held in January this year encouraged bookstores to innovate in management, service, and ideas. Sun Qian, founder of ‘Sumeng’, a national offline bookstore federation initiative, said that the management style of bookstores is changing from ‘product-centered’ to ‘place-centered’ and even ‘people-centered’.
Duoyun Academy and Theater located on Changle Road in Shanghai has become a ‘heaven’ for theater fans. Not only can you regularly receive a list of books recommended by theater experts, but you can also participate in script readings or performances held in the ‘small theater’ within the bookstore. In addition, theaters incubate original plays or work with various arts colleges to serve as a base for ‘industry-academia-research’ cooperation and produce theater works based on issues.
As bookstores become closer to libraries, auditoriums, exhibition halls, theaters, conference rooms, etc., bookstore operators are now transformed into integrated managers of book publishing, cultural services, and space operations.
◇The secret to keeping readers interested
Last month, Zhongguancun Library Building reopened in Beijing’s Haidian district. Not far away, Peking University’s historic bookstore, Feng Lusong (風入松), has also returned to its original location. Complete Seowon attracts many readers with its deep academic background and abundant book resources.
Industry insiders analyze that the key is to strengthen the ‘characteristics of book selection.’ ‘Visuals’ can be a way to attract readers for offline bookstores, but ultimately, it is ‘content’ that can retain readers.
Industry experts say that in order for offline bookstores to survive, they must create an offline immersive reading experience that digital reading cannot replace.
Additionally, experts suggested that bookstores should penetrate deeper into everyday life scenes such as streets, communities, and rural areas to clarify their service targets while lowering operating costs.
Original source: Xinhua News Agency Korean News Service
Tags: era digital reading path Chinese offline bookstores Xinhua
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