Brick-and-mortar Bookstores：From Bookselling to Culture Consumption

于燕

◆Abstract：Many physical bookstores nowadays have found a new way to survive the keen competition with their e-rivals.For independent retailers，they have undergone a shift from mere bookselling to a more diversified community hub for culture consumption，a move effectively helping turn around its operating losses.Based on the analysis of the status quo of the book market，this paper focuses on how culture consumption plays its part in the resurgence of print and then outlines the future of brick-and-mortar bookstores.

◆Key words：brick-and-mortar bookstores;culture;book market

As digital tide gradually pushed print off the mountain，it was once predicted that the digital onslaught of e-books and Amazon-style e-tailors would put brick-and-mortar bookstores in an existential predicament.The growing pressure from the rising rent，labor costs and the keen competition with its e-rivals has already forced many physical bookstores out of the market one after another during the past few years，leaving paper reading looking elsewhere to keep its business above water.

Death Knell Vs.Salvation

In 2013 when e-reading enjoyed its period of great prosperity，an article published in The Economist claimed that traditional bookstores should perish any thought about maintaining a footprint in the book market.Permeating the whole passage was a widespread panic that sooner or later，physical bookstores would be replaced by digital reading.

But early in 2012，e-book growth as backed up by rich data began to stall and flat-line.In 2015，Amazon set up its first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seattle and later this Internet giant planned to expand its market to more and more physical storefronts.And not long after Amazon’s announcement，Dangdang.com in China followed along，sending many private outlets viewing it as a good omen of a resurgence to come.

Is e-reading enough？

Although many people are opting for a quick download of new bestsellers，traditional bookstores have irreplaceable roles to play.Children’s fiction and some coloring books，obviously don’t work well on digital devices .

In addition，as sales climb，e-book piracy，however，usurps the book trade.By digitizing paper books，the scanned pages can be turned into a compact e-book，placed on the website and downloaded by netizens for free.Like misprints cropping up in paper reading，the great confusion caused by the scanning is，in fact，nothing new in digital reading.

Culture consumption turns a new page for bookstores.

American writer Richard Russo once said，“ the noisier the culture gets，the more we crave quiet，stillness.” As interest in e-reading declines，people’s appetite for paperbacks and hard covers is aroused again.The paper book which has been tested and honed over the past 2，000 years — has declined to give way that easily （Lev，2016）.For many book lovers，physical bookstores as a landmark of a city，are a haven of peace and tranquility where a soul conversation is going on only in those dog-eared tomes，shiny review copies，and leather-bound volumes with uncut pages.And these original stockpiles only become more precious with time.

Culture consumption drives book trade to flow in every city，and meanwhile allows more space for valuable artifacts.

Different from Amazon using troves of data to pick books that will most appeal to shoppers，traditional bookstores hinge on whatever goes viral concerning local culture.And in order to do full justice to its unique characteristics，a bookstore’s decor won’t be straying far from regional culture.Private outlets always team up with cafes，local museums，and theaters.

Thus，bookstores today serve not as a place for mere book trade but a carrier to record culture and a fabric to knit all artistic forms close together.Here visitors can not only read Complete Works of William Shakespeare，but can find Van Gogh’s Starry Night.Bookstores have become hubs where people can gather to have a conversation with the like-minded people，listen to the author’s talk，sip a cup of coffee and may even buy some book-inspired souvenirs.

Works cited

[1]Grossman，Lev.64.The Death of the Bookstore Was Greatly Exaggerated[J].TIME Magazine，2016，188（2/3）：54–55.