Epidemic forces bookstores to hunt for a kiss of life online

Brick-and-mortar bookstores are among the various industries badly affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak, but they are actively looking for a second life, online.

Although brick-and-mortar bookshops are much sought after by customers wanting to have the unique experience of selecting books in a public space, such a business model offers its owners little monetary advantage given the huge costs of renting a place.

It helps that people are willing to pay more for the pleasure of buying books in person from an offline bookstore because of the socializing and cultural benefits that come with it.

But such advantages have been lost following the novel coronavirus outbreak, with curbs imposed on public gatherings and mobility to stop the epidemic from spreading.

Because of this, offline bookstores are now actively exploring online channels to promote book sales and sustain themselves. The inspiration to transform to an online model came from observing other e-commerce platforms.

But the transformation has not been smooth, as offline bookstores don't offer readers any advantages over established online bookstores. To draw more readers, the offline bookstores have sought to replicate the customer experience that the brick-and-mortar stores offered.

How? By forming readers clubs, launching online courses and holding cultural activities using another tried and tested model, livestreaming.

For example, since Feb 26, offline bookstore OWSpace has held five livestreaming activities on Taobao.

On Monday, Xu Zhiyuan, a celebrity and one of OWSpace's founders, participated in a livestreaming event involving OWSpace and several well-known offline bookstores, such as Librairie Avant-Garde in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province. The owners livestreamed from their independent bookstores, connecting with readers, talking about the hardships caused by the epidemic and promoting their business. According to Taobao, the event attracted 145,000 online visitors.

Given the pleasure offline bookstores offer readers, the sun should not set on them because of an epidemic. It is good to see the traditional bookstores embracing innovation to stay afloat. The authorities and society should also come forward to save them.