2017年CRI How do physical bookstores survive the digital age?

 

This is a small segment from the weekly literary program Ink&Quill.

Located in downtown Shanghai, "Colourful", or "Qian Cai Shu Fang¹" in Chinese, is one of the most iconic bookstores in the city. 

Sitting right beneath the former residence of Eileen Chang, the legendary³ 1940s Chinese writer, the bookstore used to be a cafe that she frequently visited. In order to pay homage⁴ to this cultural icon², the coffee house turned into a tastefully decorated bookstore stacked with Eileen's books. 

Coming all the way from Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, a city over 450 kilometres from Shanghai, college students Zhang Hanqi and her friend came to the bookshop to salute⁵ their literary hero.

But rather than taking a stroll around the bookshelves, the pair poses for pictures beside almost every Eileen Chang's portrait inside the bookshop.

Zhang explains as: "I am mostly interested in the decor of the bookstore. Since I am a design major, I just want to experience the atmosphere."

Her comment might touch on a long-standing problem that worries many bookstore owners. As people's buying habits change, it seems that books are no longer the primary draw for prospective⁶ customers.

Shang Hua runs Dayin Books, an independently-owned bookstore chain in Shanghai. According to her, book sales only account for half of our profits."The other half comes from selling tea and tea sets. We have three outlets⁷ in Shanghai. In the flagship store, we organize reading events and activities. So on-site leasing also accounts for a portion of our revenue. All the stores provide similar services. However, since the flagship store is located in a modern shopping mall which attracts a younger crowd, we host some workshops there. Here, since this store sits amid neighborhoods, there are calligraphy⁸ and baking classes on offer."

Hold on a moment, so does this diversification⁹ suggest a dwindling¹⁰ number of book lovers? 

Shang immediately denies this:"In fact, a genuine book lover would still purchase a sizeable number of books. There are still many of them."

But the bookseller also admits that solely¹¹ depending on book sales cannot guarantee their survival. The cost of running a book store can be quite high. Shang continues:"We would only earn several thousand yuan per day if we only sold books. Those who merchandise nothing but books cannot make ends meet. You have to offer customers something else."

According to Zhang Lin, deputy-general manager of Heilongjiang Book, Audio, and Video Distribution Group, though the Chinese book retail¹² industry is thriving in general, the number of physical books sold is in decline. 

Zhang says: "Online bookselling has maintained a growth rate of 30 percent. In 2016, the total retail sales of books in China was 70.1 billion yuan, roughly 10.5 billion US dollars. Physical bookstore accounted for 33.6 billion yuan whereas online retailers¹³ pocketed 36.5 billion yuan. For the first time in history, digital sales outnumbered brick and mortar¹⁴ sales. Judged by last year's statistics, the state of the physical bookstore is quite grim."

In order to survive, bookstores have had to transform. Even Xinhua, China's 80-year-old state-owned bookstore chain, is planning on getting a face-lift.

Here is Jiang Li, deputy-general manager of Shanghai Xinhua Media Company Limited. So far, her company owns nearly 100 stores around the city. By the end of this year, three more are ready to make their debut¹⁵. 

"I think independent bookstores are more market savvy¹⁶. We need to learn from them in order to meet the needs of customers. That's why our three new outlets will go through some transformations¹⁸. Before, at the mention of a Xinhua Bookstore, people would usually think of almost-tipping bookcases cluttered¹⁹ with student reference books and test prep books. It seemed like there was nothing new on the shelf throughout the year. But our newly-built outlets will be different and improve the customer's experience. We will make the purchase more convenient and the in-store stock more up-to-date. At the same time, an in-house cafe will be installed as well."

Yet not everyone in the industry is interested in venturing further into a diversified²⁰ business.

In Sichuan Province, Winshare, a subsidiary of the behemoth Xinhua, is embracing digitalization by opening a new set of data-driven smart bookshops. 

Chen Dali, deputy general manager of the company, introduces: "There are two types of bookshops: one is self-service bookshelf whereas another is a self-service bookstore. Their difference lies in size. But no matter what sort of bookshop we are talking about, both forms offer customers similar services, such as book selling, lending, and information gathering²¹. All you need to do is to register on our platform. One smart bookshop won't occupy a large space. Take the self-service bookshelf for example, it only covers 2 to 3 square metres but contains over 500 volumes. Even if the books on the shelf cannot meet your needs, through our smart terminals, you could find inventory²² information from our storefronts or local libraries. The data-driven stores are multifunctional."

According to Chen, so far there are fifty smart bookshops scattered²³ across Sichuan. In the future, more will be established in neighbourhoods, shopping malls, and transportation junctions²⁴ across China. As the number of their outlets increase, his company Winshare could create a big data digital apparatus²⁵ that collects information on consumption habits, and other customer information. 

Cao Jie, the head of Anhui Xinhua Media, also agrees that the tie-in of brick and mortar shops and digital prowess, marks the future for book retailers. 

"We develop a new business model by launching an app named 'U Plus Bookstore', which basically allows people to borrow books in bookstores. Within ten days, readers can use the app to borrow whatever they like, by paying 99 yuan or roughly 15 US dollars as a deposit. Reading has changed from a personal experience into a social activity. The three million users on the digital platform, are divided into different reading groups. From time to time, we will analyze²⁶ our users' reading scales then connect them with various products, publishers, and authors. If you return the borrowed books on time or read voraciously²⁷, financial benefits will also be provided."

Cao says that book lending is just the first step of their transformation¹⁷. In the future, they will work with online education institutions in order to offer more services. The man adds that "Within 30 days, the average weekly attendance has increased by 53 percent. More than 120,000 books have been borrowed and returned. As an added bonus, the revenue of our physical bookstore is increasing at the same time."

That sounds quite promising²⁸, doesn't it? 

But this brandnew business model is not being carried out unchallenged. 

Since 2016, Chinese online retailing²⁹ juggernaut Dangdang has opened more than one hundred brick-and-mortar bookstores. The e-commerce giant is scheduled to open one thousand storefronts in the next three years. 

It seems that the future for physical bookstores remains³⁰ murky³¹ and challenging. 

1 fang   

n.尖牙，犬牙

参考例句：

• Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。
• The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。

2 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

3 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

4 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

5 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

6 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

7 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 calligraphy   

n.书法

参考例句：

• At the calligraphy competition,people asked him to write a few characters.书法比赛会上，人们请他留字。
• His calligraphy is vigorous and forceful.他的书法苍劲有力。

9 diversification   

n.变化，多样化；多种经营

参考例句：

• The seminar was to discuss diversification of agriculture. 该研讨会讨论的是农业多种经营。 来自辞典例句
• Firm diversification is increasingly achieved by the means of takeover and merger. 通过接管和兼并，厂商经营范围日益多样化。 来自辞典例句

10 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

11 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

12 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

13 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

14 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

15 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

16 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

17 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

18 transformations   

n.变化( transformation的名词复数 )；转换；转换；变换

参考例句：

• Energy transformations go on constantly, all about us. 在我们周围，能量始终在不停地转换着。 来自辞典例句
• On the average, such transformations balance out. 平均起来，这种转化可以互相抵消。 来自辞典例句

19 cluttered   

v.杂物，零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的过去式和过去分词 )；乱糟糟地堆满，把…弄得很乱；（以…） 塞满…

参考例句：

• The room is cluttered up with all kinds of things. 零七八碎的东西放满了一屋子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The desk is cluttered with books and papers. 桌上乱糟糟地堆满了书报。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 diversified   

adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲，多种经营，全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

22 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

23 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

24 junctions   

联结点( junction的名词复数 )； 会合点； （公路或铁路的）交叉路口； （电缆等的）主结点

参考例句：

• Metals which were mutually soluble would tend to give strong junctions. 可互溶的金属趋向于产生牢固的结合点。
• Some adhering junctions are present as narrow bands connecting two cells. 有些粘附连接以一窄带的形式连接两个细胞。

25 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

26 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

27 voraciously   

adv.贪婪地

参考例句：

• The bears feed voraciously in summer and store energy as fat. 熊在夏季吃很多东西，以脂肪形式储存能量。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

29 retailing   

n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词)

参考例句：

• career opportunities in retailing 零售业的职业机会
• He is fond of retailing the news. 他喜欢传播消息。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

31 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。