Salvation online?

The epidemic is now forcing brick-and-mortar bookstores to give up their "slow offline life"－at one point their unique selling proposition, attracting customers in droves－to embrace the fast-paced online space. Such a transition opens up a world of challenges as well as opportunities.

On March 9, OWSpace launched an online livestreaming campaign for "safeguarding independent bookstores", inviting "China's best live streaming saleswoman" Viya to promote books from six independent bookstores online.

Wu Qi says embracing the online business model is the only option before brick-and-mortar bookstores as the novel coronavirus outbreak has "cut off all offline channels." He added that promoting the online model through livestreaming was a good idea, considering the influence Xu Zhiyuan and Viya wield in different circles. "Livestreaming is not only an effective sales promotion model but also a communication channel," Wu said. "It's just the business model OWSpace should be exploring to not only improve its advantage in bookstores but also media and content output platforms. And intellectuals need to do new things to improve their visibility in the new era."

The online platform is sure infusing new blood into Utopia Bookshop. After its notice saying it was shutting down went viral on the internet, numerous readers from around the country placed orders for a blind box sale the bookstore was holding, before shutting down, to pay its employees. The sale changed the bookstore's fortunes, at least for the time being. "Till now, we have sold around 4,000 blind boxes. This is way beyond my expectations and is actually helping the bookstore's revival," bookshop owner Tong Xingjia said. "I'm sure the reason so many people are buying our blind boxes is this－they don't want brick-and-mortar bookstores to die."

However, many brick-and-mortar bookstores are actively exploring online options.

Mazi Bookstore in Beijing, dealing with books on drama, poetry and films, moved its operations online in February, less than a month after the epidemic hit business. Mazi has even tied up with e-commerce platform Meituan for express book deliveries.

And thanks to the livestreaming platform, the sun has not yet set on the bookshop's cultural activities. If anything, it has got more pronounced. "Before the epidemic, we had gone online to promote and cultivate regular customers for our brick-and-mortar stores," said Mazi Bookstore founder Li Suwan. "Thanks to this exercise, we were able to quickly move our cultural activities online and actively communicate with readers through the online readers club."