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Bookshops reinvent themselves
By Xu Wenwen |
March 24, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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COMPETITION from big online bookstores has forced many private book sellers to come up with new ways of doing business. Some open online, some open near universities, some serve coffee and culture. Xu Wenwen turns a page.
Many bricks-and-mortar bookstores are going out of business in China or selling online to survive. They are also reinventing themselves to keep up with the times.
Amazon.cn and Dangdang.com are the giants and last year Dangdang's turnover reached 2.4 billion yuan (US$352 million), 10-15 percent of China's total book sales, according to the Beijing News.
Hangzhou is feeling the pain and private bookstores are struggling. Some have closed, some have closed branches and consolidated, some are selling online, some are diversifying into cafes, art sales, and event and culture space.
Fenglinwan Bookstore
The 12-year-old private bookstore specialized in academic books, it never discounts and seldom offers best-sellers.
"We don't compete with big state-owned stores or Web stores that benefit because of volume sales," says Zhu Shenghua, the owner. "We focus on scholarly books. The more popular buying on the Internet becomes, the more we need to be professional, specific and targeted."
The store hasn't been making money since 2003, when the SARS epidemic kept people indoors and readers found the convenience of shopping online.
Fenglinwan used to own 10 branches around Zhejiang Province but fewer customers and rising rent forced it to reinvent itself. It closed some outlets, and now four stores remain.
"We were determined to eliminate some 'real' stores, and to add new features," says Zhu.
Today the main, 2,000-square-meter bookshop has diversified. It has a cafe, art room and creative products counter, in addition to some books.
But the book business is gradually moving online to Fenglinwan's Website.
The store frequently organizes free opera performances, reading salons, meet-and-greet events with well-known writers, and other events.
"These below-the-line activities are no substitute for online shopping and the traditional function of bookstores is being transformed," says Zhu.
"Fenglinwan's core competence is the steady development of a network over a dozen years. Before, we used to sell books, now we sell service."
Because of its reputation, Fenglinwan was hired last summer to set up a library containing nearly 10,000 books about business, management, IT and other topics in Alibaba headquarters in Hangzhou.
Books can be read, borrowed or bought in the library, which holds regular culture salons and seminars.
Zhu calls the relationship a "symbiosis" and says Fenglinwan as a "cultural chamberlain" plans to set up a similar library in Netease headquarters, opposite to Alibaba.
Xiaofeng Bookstore
Another private bookstore, Xiaofeng Bookstore featuring cultural, social affairs and financial books is also taking great pains to carry on.
"Every year, we are looking for a new way out," says Zhu Yufang, the owner.
Unlike Fenglinwan that closed branches, Xiaofeng opened two branches in universities in the city last year, targeting student and teacher customers.
"Book purchase demand is still increasing, but the market is more segmented," says Zhu.
"Bookstores, therefore, need to target customers - open 'real' stores close to readers willing to buy books in 'real' stores."
Last year, the oldest Xiaofeng Bookstore, the one on Tiyuchang Road, opened a 70-square-meter parent-child area offering books for children and adults. The area has children-size and adult-size chairs, tables and desks for family use.
"Books are like bonds to connect various cultural and art events, and a cultural bookstore is not only a place to sell books," says Zhu.
"We don't expect much profit, but we hope to provide a better reading and 'life' atmosphere."
Many bricks-and-mortar bookstores are going out of business in China or selling online to survive. They are also reinventing themselves to keep up with the times.
Amazon.cn and Dangdang.com are the giants and last year Dangdang's turnover reached 2.4 billion yuan (US$352 million), 10-15 percent of China's total book sales, according to the Beijing News.
Hangzhou is feeling the pain and private bookstores are struggling. Some have closed, some have closed branches and consolidated, some are selling online, some are diversifying into cafes, art sales, and event and culture space.
Fenglinwan Bookstore
The 12-year-old private bookstore specialized in academic books, it never discounts and seldom offers best-sellers.
"We don't compete with big state-owned stores or Web stores that benefit because of volume sales," says Zhu Shenghua, the owner. "We focus on scholarly books. The more popular buying on the Internet becomes, the more we need to be professional, specific and targeted."
The store hasn't been making money since 2003, when the SARS epidemic kept people indoors and readers found the convenience of shopping online.
Fenglinwan used to own 10 branches around Zhejiang Province but fewer customers and rising rent forced it to reinvent itself. It closed some outlets, and now four stores remain.
"We were determined to eliminate some 'real' stores, and to add new features," says Zhu.
Today the main, 2,000-square-meter bookshop has diversified. It has a cafe, art room and creative products counter, in addition to some books.
But the book business is gradually moving online to Fenglinwan's Website.
The store frequently organizes free opera performances, reading salons, meet-and-greet events with well-known writers, and other events.
"These below-the-line activities are no substitute for online shopping and the traditional function of bookstores is being transformed," says Zhu.
"Fenglinwan's core competence is the steady development of a network over a dozen years. Before, we used to sell books, now we sell service."
Because of its reputation, Fenglinwan was hired last summer to set up a library containing nearly 10,000 books about business, management, IT and other topics in Alibaba headquarters in Hangzhou.
Books can be read, borrowed or bought in the library, which holds regular culture salons and seminars.
Zhu calls the relationship a "symbiosis" and says Fenglinwan as a "cultural chamberlain" plans to set up a similar library in Netease headquarters, opposite to Alibaba.
Xiaofeng Bookstore
Another private bookstore, Xiaofeng Bookstore featuring cultural, social affairs and financial books is also taking great pains to carry on.
"Every year, we are looking for a new way out," says Zhu Yufang, the owner.
Unlike Fenglinwan that closed branches, Xiaofeng opened two branches in universities in the city last year, targeting student and teacher customers.
"Book purchase demand is still increasing, but the market is more segmented," says Zhu.
"Bookstores, therefore, need to target customers - open 'real' stores close to readers willing to buy books in 'real' stores."
Last year, the oldest Xiaofeng Bookstore, the one on Tiyuchang Road, opened a 70-square-meter parent-child area offering books for children and adults. The area has children-size and adult-size chairs, tables and desks for family use.
"Books are like bonds to connect various cultural and art events, and a cultural bookstore is not only a place to sell books," says Zhu.
"We don't expect much profit, but we hope to provide a better reading and 'life' atmosphere."
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