JUST when many independent bookstore owners are worrying about the future of their businesses, a growing number of store owners in Shenzhen are exploring more creative business models in order to survive in the digital era.

    “A bookstore owner should be creative when tackling problems, just like any business owner,” Bai Xuegang, owner of Thinker Books, said recently at a forum on independent bookstores in Shenzhen.

    Bai’s bookstore is now cooperating with an estate developer, acting as a community library for residents in the area. “I don’t have to pay rent because of the services I provide to community residents. Even though I am still exploring other successful business models, I don’t worry about paying my rent every month. In the future, I may try to increase profits with membership cards or by lending books,” Bai said.

    Some bookstore owners could also try to make their way in the industry by offering “unique experiences.”

    “My bookstore offers beverages at very low prices. The drinks are not the source of my profits, but it helps me make money by attracting a large number of book lovers,” said Yang Zhongqiu, owner of Bidu Bookstore.

    In fact, diversifying and targeting niche markets are two keys to success for independent bookstores, said Hang Tao from Guanying Book Bar at Golden Carnival Center Cinema. The bar is now a well-known bookstore among movie and book lovers in Shenzhen. “We bought a lot of books related to movies from Hong Kong and overseas, making the store an ideal place for books and movies for film fans,” Hang said.

    “Providing platforms and special services is an effective way for independent bookstores to compete against online bookstores and bookstore giants,” said Chen Zhi from Phoenix Bookstore.

    However, some bookstore owners are not that optimistic about the future of traditional bookstores.

    “I have talked to many readers and found that most of them like to buy books online. Price is not the only reason. A lot of them think online bookstores are more convenient for searching for books,” said Pan Yansheng, owner of an architecture bookstore. “There are so many books on the shelves, which makes it very difficult for readers to choose.”

    Pan is now also exploring new ways to sell books. “I am now working on a self-service bookstore, similar to a vending machine,” he said. “The biggest advantage of this machine is that you can change your location any time you want. If a location is not good, it is cheap and easy to move to another location.”

    Many second-hand bookstores are also facing difficulties such as rent and storage. “Many second-hand bookstores like mine have a lot of books stored in warehouses. Every time we move to a new location, it takes about a month to relocate the books. If there was a book exchange fair or platform, we might be able to sell them much more quickly,” said Chen Haizhu, owner of second-hand bookstore Azhu Bookstore in Shenzhen.

    “It is important for bookstores to work together and share resources that could boost the sales,” said Liu Jinlong, owner of Migrant Home Bookstore.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)