A jagged bookstore in Wudaokou, Beijing. Photo courtesy of respondents

"Why do people always find it difficult to open a bookstore?" Cao Rong is a little confused. She and her husband, Zhang Xuejian, run a wine exchange bookstore, which has passed its second birthday.

In the past two years, Cao Rong has witnessed the closure of teahouses and barbecue shops around him. "In contrast, I think we are not bad, we can earn shop rent and live a decent life."

"I believe that opening a bookstore is promising and profitable."

"Compared with other industries, for me, the success rate of opening a bookstore will be higher."

"In my lifetime, physical bookstores will definitely not disappear."

……

The business area is less than 100 square meter, which is usually managed by the owner himself or his wife ... It is difficult for such a small bookstore to get rent reduction from the shopping mall like a large chain bookstore, or even to reach the threshold of subsidy for its bookstore. In addition, the price of books sold by e-commerce is more advantageous, and a large number of consumers choose online shopping. How do small bookstores survive? Just by feeling?

In fact, in the eyes of these small bookstore operators, opening a bookstore is not a feeling, nor an escape, but a rational business judgment based on the love of books. More than one bookstore owner vomited, "feelings" is the biggest misunderstanding of small bookstores.

"On the one hand, we want to do what we like. On the other hand, we need to support ourselves. Feelings always give people a particularly idealistic feeling, that is, even if you burn money, it sounds like your brain is broken. " Cao Rong said.

"Opening a bookstore is not an impulse."

Zhang Xuejian and Cao Rong graduated from Peking University and Shanghai Jiaotong University respectively. Before they started to run a wine exchange bookstore near Confucius Temple in Nanjing, both of them worked in a publishing company in Shanghai and accumulated a lot of experience in the book industry. They also realize that this industry is not the sunset industry that everyone imagined.

To this end, the two of them visited bookstores in the Yangtze River Delta and Japan, read books on business and sales, and carefully selected them to ensure the quality of each book. They have read all the books on the shelf.

Accumulation and preparation before opening a shop are very important for a bookstore. On May 4th, before the epidemic spread far, Jiang Tao and Xiaoqi opened Akemei Bookstore at the foot of Yuelu Mountain.

2008125/20 165438, Tiexue Bookstore opened on the floor of Huaqing Jiayuan Business Building 10 in Wudaokou, Beijing. Before deciding to open a bookstore, the owner made a detailed analysis of the book market in Beijing in August. "I like reading books, worked as a bookstore clerk and studied marketing. I believe that opening a bookstore is promising and profitable, but it may take a little longer. " In her view, the number of physical bookstores in Beijing is far from enough. "I estimated at the time that about 60 thousand people owned a bookstore."

In August, physical books and e-books, physical bookstores and online bookstores can be saved. For example, I read both physical books and e-books, visit bookstores and buy books online. At that time, a bookstore colleague's point of view influenced her-the closure of the bookstore was not a problem for readers, but the bookstore itself was not done well. "Many people don't care about spending a few more dollars to buy books in bookstores, provided that you make people willing to visit and find books they like and want to come again next time."

Zhuang Jianguo, the owner of Shanghai Rhino Bookstore, has worked in the bookstore industry for more than ten years. He first worked as a shop assistant, then opened a bookstore in partnership with friends, and finally owned his own bookstore on 20 16. Perhaps because of the ups and downs of bookstores, Zhuang Jianguo is relatively pessimistic. "In my opinion, independent bookstores like ours are unlikely to be needed by many people. I chose to open a bookstore mainly because I love it and didn't think much about the big environment. "

However, he is optimistic about the industry prospects of physical bookstores. "After working for more than ten years, I feel that the living environment of physical bookstores has been developing in a good direction in recent years. In my lifetime, physical bookstores will certainly not disappear. But the requirements for practitioners will become higher and higher. "

On book day, I decided not to buy new books.

Although the bookstore market was optimistic at first, the uneven bookstore operation was not smooth. Bookstores usually get a discount of not less than 60% when they buy new books from publishers. The price is not the full price of the bookstore members, but 10% of the members. There are not many discounts and the profit margin is not high. For e-commerce activities in JD.COM and Dangdang, new books can be easily reduced by 50%, not to mention that during the World Book Day "6. 18" and "Double 1 1", all kinds of full reductions can be superimposed, and the purchase of new books from e-commerce can be as low as 30%. Under such a cruel price squeeze, the sales of new books in bookstores are bleak.

"Some of my colleagues buy goods directly when e-commerce engages in activities, and the discount is lower than that of the publishing house, but I think it is simply to quench thirst by drinking poison." In August, she was helpless. What is even more embarrassing for her is that when she went to talk with people from publishing houses and book distribution companies about buying discounts, they told her directly that if you go to JD.COM and Dangdang to buy, their activities will definitely be cheaper than our channels.

April 23rd is World Reading Day. On this day in August, it was announced on the official WeChat account of the bookstore that Tiexue Bookstore would no longer purchase most new books from the publishing house, but would focus on second-hand books in circulation, old books with reading value and special stock books published for a long time. These books are different from new books sold through e-commerce channels, and they are scarce and will not be affected by discount activities.

"According to the current situation, it is obviously cheaper and more convenient to buy books in e-commerce. Letting readers go to bookstores to buy new books is equivalent to threatening with emotions and violating economic laws." August said.

Like Tiexue Bookstore, many small bookstores in first-tier cities try to avoid competition with e-commerce in book selection.

Shanghai rhinoceros bookstore is located in the residential area of Fuxing Square. The corridor is full of books bought by the owner Zhuang Jianguo but haven't had time to sort out the shelves yet. Crossing the corridor is the main part of the bookstore. There are more than a dozen bookshelves in a room of more than 30 square meters. The bookshelves are mainly old books on literature and history published in the 1950s and 1990s, as well as older books. These books are of good quality and appearance. Owner Zhuang Jianguo sat in the corner of the bookstore, reading quietly.

"The new book sales environment is too bad, and the e-commerce discount is too low. Bookstores are competitive, but you can't ask or expect customers to come to your store and buy new books at a price that is so much more expensive than e-commerce. " Therefore, Zhuang Jianguo chose to focus on old books in his business direction, and new books only sold versions that could not be bought by e-commerce channels such as signature books and raw materials.

At present, the rent of 6,000 yuan a month is not very stressful for rhinoceros bookstore. Recently, however, Zhuang Jianguo decided to move the bookstore to a storefront on the Suzhou River, with a better location, but the rent will suddenly rise to 15000 yuan. "I like the environment over there. When I first started looking for a store, I wanted to choose Suzhou Riverside, but I didn't find the right one. Now that you have chosen the right store, let's challenge it again. "

A store of more than 60 square meters sells 50,000 to 60,000 copies every year.

When Fudan Old Bookstore opened on the second floor of a vegetable market near Fudan South District in 2002, there were nearly ten small bookstores around it. More than ten years have passed, and those bookstores have closed down or closed down. Only the old bookstore in Fudan has been there, and it is alive and well.

"The rent is 6.5438+0.3 million a year, but the profit is not bad. In recent years, I have been able to sell 50,000 to 60,000 books every year. " Speaking of the operation of bookstores in recent years, Zhang Qiang is full of confidence.

Only this year, because of the epidemic, the number of people visiting bookstores decreased in the first half of the year, which affected the operation of bookstores and is still recovering.

In Zhang Qiang's view, the reason why his bookstore can sell so many books every year has two major advantages, one is the price, and the other is the category of books. "I try my best to get the lowest price, which is to make people feel that buying books in my bookstore is more cost-effective than buying them online."

Zhang Qiang is confident about the price of the book. "Many bookstores in other places come directly to me to purchase goods, pick a lot, and I will send them back. You see, that's it. They will still make money when they go back to sell. "

In addition to the price, Zhang Qiang believes that people like second-hand bookstores, but also because they can meet good books unexpectedly, which involves the category of books. "I mainly collect literature and history books. In addition to various waste purchasing points and publishing house inventory, the main source is the old books handled by Fudan teachers and students. Readers will definitely encounter good books that cannot be found online here. "

There are 50,000 books piled up in the 60-square-meter storefront of Fudan Old Bookstore without classification. At first glance, it's a bit messy, but Zhang Qiang thinks readers like it here because they like the surprise of finding good books in the chaos.

His judgment is accurate. Some time ago, Fudan Old Bookstore unexpectedly became a popular little red book, which was praised as "the paradise of books", "the treasure" and "the most beautiful bookstore". The customers of the bookstore are not only Fudan teachers and students, people who work and live in Shanghai, but also many foreign tourists.

Today, bookstores are becoming more and more famous online, and coffee culture and creativity are increasingly occupying the main business of bookstores. A bookstore "except books" still has the power to impress people. "I just want to be a pure bookstore. If there is a big enough store in the future, I will also provide tea and coffee, but it is free. For example, customers can recharge 200 yuan to buy books and become members, and they can drink for free when they come here to find books. "

Zhang Qiang doesn't object to the bookstore selling wenchuang and drinks, but he can't pretend to be the owner. "If books become accessories, are bookstores still real bookstores?"

Being close to Fudan is also a place that Zhang Qiang is proud of. "Fudan's cultural atmosphere is good. Maybe I can't do it so well in another place. "

"If I want to make a living by selling drinks, I'll open a coffee shop."

For example, the name of the bookstore, many small bookstores have entrusted the owner's ideal and yearning lifestyle. "Uneven Bookstore" comes from Russell's words quoted in Wang Xiaobo's Silent Majority that "uneven polymorphism is the source of happiness".

"Acme" in "Acme Bookstore" comes from Greek, which means "peak". Ahmet School is a modernist school of Russian poetry in the early 20th century, and its representatives include Ahmedova, Mandelstam and other ill-fated poets.

The word "changing wine" in the wine-changing bookstore was originally a propaganda copy in the circle of friends when the owner handled old books on the eve of graduation from Peking University, showing a chic attitude towards life.

A customer once told Jiang Tao that when you go to the bookstore, you don't have to look for books on various lists. By contrast, the book you chose is better. In fact, not selling teaching AIDS and bestsellers is the "bottom line" of almost every small bookstore. Although some bookstores supply drinks or sell cultural and creative products, they all insist that their main business is books, and some bookstores simply sell books.

Jiang Tao proudly said, "The profit from selling books accounts for more than 90% of the total profit! It can be said that Akme Bookstore is a real bookstore! " In August, I thought, "If bookstores want to make a living by selling drinks, then why open bookstores?"? I'll open a coffee shop. "

These bookstores also have their own online stores, but the operation of physical bookstores still occupies the most important position. Zhang Qiang opened Fudan's old bookstore online ten years ago, and its turnover once exceeded that of a physical store. Later, with limited time and energy, he chose to run a physical bookstore well. In his view, online stores are purely for making money, and physical stores also have the function of spreading culture.

The rhinoceros bookstore also did a good job of selling books online, but Zhuang Jianguo chose to spend high rent to set up a new store. "I always feel that there is a physical store, which is the real bookstore. Looking through books in the store will have a better experience and more freedom than buying books online, and it is easier to find unexpected books and marry their favorite books. "

"Profit is the source of our dignity and confidence"

Making money is equally important. After all, this is the foundation of a bookstore's survival. Jiang Tao bluntly said, "Akme Bookstore is first and foremost a self-financing bookstore. All the books on display in the shop are for sale. Our profit depends on the number of books sold, which is the source of our dignity and confidence. "

Therefore, in Akme Bookstore, you can open the book to let customers fully understand the paper, layout and basic content of the book, but you are not welcome to rummage through the whole book in the bookstore. Bookstores don't provide public services, and readers can't use this place as a library for self-study.

In August, she spoke, and she met people who came to the bookstore to chat with her more than once. They talked endlessly about how difficult it is to have a physical bookstore, how much they love paper books, and how good the books in your bookstore are ... At first, she thought she met a bosom friend, but such people often left the bookstore after leaving a faint sentence "You are very courageous, you must stick to it".

In the official account of WeChat, where there are different bookstores, August bluntly expressed his dislike for such people: "If you go to an independent bookstore, you'd better support it with practical actions. If there are no books you need, it doesn't matter if you leave quietly. Don't talk to the host. "

High rent is still the biggest pressure that every small bookstore faces. Unlike large chain bookstores, which can enjoy rent reduction or even decoration subsidies, such small bookstores currently have no bargaining power in rent.

Only Tiexue Bookstore applied for subsidies from physical bookstores in Beijing last year, and the total amount was equivalent to about three months' rent. "At that time, it really solved my urgent need."

But more than one bookstore said that subsidies may temporarily alleviate the shortage of funds, but it is not a long-term solution. Bookstores need to tap their own hematopoietic capacity.

Cao Rong said that she didn't expect subsidies and support, and only the management of the city of hope could give the bookstore more space.

For example, when the young couple visited the old bookstore in Japan, they liked the small book cart placed in front of the store, with books on it for passers-by to read at will, but in Nanjing, such a small book cart was not allowed by the urban management. For example, after opening the store for more than a year, the light signboard displayed at the door of the store was suddenly asked to be removed; For example, a small flowerpot placed on an outdoor air conditioner as an ornament was suddenly asked to take it away. ...

"There are often people on the sidewalk in bask in the quilt, and urban management doesn't think it will affect the city appearance. Why does a potted flower, a small book cart with an area of less than 0.5 square meters, affect the city appearance? " Cao Rong was confused. (End)