Social News
Written by Deng Jiaqi
2020-04-18 07:00
Last update date: 2020-04-18 07:00Under the tide of the epidemic, Dazhong Bookstore announced in March that all 16 branches in Hong Kong were closed, and bookstores with a history of over 40 years were closed. Many book fans lamented. The bookstores of large chain stores have written their final chapters. How can independent bookstores gain a foothold in Hong Kong? Hidden in the Jintian vegetable field, the Bibi Bookstore, with the theme of gathering book friends and sharing life, was built into a small personalized and humanized bookstore. Ringo, the boss, admitted that the closure of a large bookstore may cause the entire publishing industry and the bookstore industry to die, and the bookstores alone are not enough to maintain monthly expenditures. What does he rely on to continue to operate the bookstore? Enter this paradise and listen to their stories.
"Out of the world" in the epidemic
On Friday morning, the reporter came to Bibi Bookstore on the concrete road in the field. There were several goats outside the house. The proprietress Teresa stepped out of the house and took us out of the shoes. "The boss came out to repair and wait, wait!" Teresa said, handing the freshly brewed tea to reporters and photographers. Standing in a small book house filled with warm light, it makes people understand why they are willing to travel long distances to come here.
Some book friends sit in front of the cafe for a whole day, and the proprietress is also happy to share her experience of drinking tea. (Photo by Yang Rongfei)
Bibi Bookstore is generally only open on Friday and Saturday, Ringo and Teresa will arrange other affairs on weekdays, so that the retirement day can be fulfilled. Although the bookstore is only open two days a week, the flow of people has been stable. Until March, the number of book friends visiting was even more than in the past few months: "Instead, for a few weeks, the number of idle days is much more chattering." Teresa said with a smile that the book friends were still happy to support them in the epidemic. But now he is worried because of the epidemic.
During the visit, two children suddenly "intruded", and turned out to be the neighbor of Bibi Bookstore. They stayed at home because of the suspension of classes. They often came to the bookstore to make a cameo. Teresa explained that the suspension and flexible working hours are both increasing. We do not entertain children and are afraid of destroying the peaceful environment of reading. "
The theme bookstore attracts "Wenqing" is unexpected
"We are a theme bookstore, and the topics we like are put in." Ringo said. It is not difficult to find that the classification of Bibi Bookstore is different from the general bookstores, which are usually "humanities", "science fiction", "finance" and so on, but what you see here is "when the west meets the east" and "life planning" , "The impatient life" this fresh classification. Ringo believes that large bookstores have a single book category, and they will choose books that are similar to the style of the bookstore. About the categories of mind and life, there are also agricultural-related tool books such as "24 solar terms".
Can you find your own book in a special category? (Photo by Yang Rongfei)
Most of the coming book friends are bookstores who have been long-time visitors, and there is no shortage of "Wenqing" customers. Teresa recalled that when the bookstore opened, it originally targeted retirees of the same age as the target customer group. The most important customer group is working people in their 20s and 40s. Because of their busy work, they like to visit the "Xanadu" on holiday and leave the daily rush rhythm: "I feel that (the bookstore) is a dream, and I will say" you " That ’s fine, I want to be like this. ”Teresa believes that the customer base has become clearer, but it is easier to manage. The young people who have been there will also recommend it to friends. But despite this, the bookstore's income from selling books only accounts for 30 to 40% of the bookstore's overall income.
There is also a coffee shop outside the bookstore. The proprietress said that some young people like to take a book and spend a day outdoors. (Photo by Yang Rongfei)
Selling books only accounts for 30% to 40% of income
The shopkeepers of the two bookstores bluntly stated that their monthly income is sufficient to achieve a break-even balance. However, the income from selling books only accounts for 30% to 40%. Wait, sometimes school activities will also drive book sales. Ringo believes that selling books alone may not meet the expectations of people visiting bookstores. Teresa also agrees that visiting bookstores is a style for people. Therefore, the bookstore also establishes a platform for sharing reading and sharing life in addition to selling books. So that the enjoyment of book friends and the income of the bookstore are not limited to "books", but also cannot be separated from "books".
Just like when she entered the bookstore, Teresa made a pot of tea to share with reporters. She would treat every bookmate like this every time. Snacks and tea are free. If you are interested in tea and tea, you can buy it on the spot. . However, they suggest that small bookstores can also provide paid snacks to increase income. Ringo also suggested that independent bookstores can add some products that are close to the bookstore and make the bookstore more colorful.
The proprietress joked that she doesn't know much about tea tasting, but believes that she likes what she likes. (Photo by Yang Rongfei)
The characteristic activities of the bookstore are all about sharing and life, such as "books for food", "share food", etc. The workshops held are also in line with the theme of the bookstore, including quiet observation, book sharing, concerts, even tie-dye, farming, etc. Wait. Through various characteristic activities, book friends have a sense of belonging to the bookstore. Ringo is grateful for the reward of operating more than money, but also the connection with the book friends and the care they receive when the wind and rain fall.
Independent bookstores are easier to survive
The independent bookstore "Qi" has its own characteristics, and Ringo also feels that the small and flexible bookstores are easier to survive than the chain bookstores. Large bookstores have a lot of manpower and expensive rents. These two items may account for 80% of the cost alone, and there are too many books. The funds are not very liquid. Teresa laments that the bookstore is difficult to operate, and there are fewer and fewer places to nail. Ringo is also concerned that the closure of large bookstores will cause the publishing industry and the bookstore industry to face the situation of cold teeth. "(Bookstore industry) is a chain, there are people who write books, compile books, and print books. In fact, they have been very much for decades, and the writing work is not easy to do." He is worried that the level of knowledge will become weaker as the bookstores decrease. .
The boss and the proprietress are book lovers. Almost all the books in the bookstore are personally selected by the two. (Photo by Yang Rongfei)
"It's as if people are getting more and more familiar, they know everything, and they can find them on Google, but they are very hard to study, so that they can share with others and teach others." It can be applied later, just like the purpose of the bookstore "Reading from the Rain" to integrate reading into life. The two shopkeepers who are book lovers themselves hope that the cultural heritage of the "bookstore" will not disappear, and that more people are willing to join the ranks.
The reporter visited Bibi Bookstore on March 27. The bookstore was temporarily closed due to the epidemic situation and reopened recently.
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