In the ongoing digital era, traditional bookstores are facing huge challenges from online rivals, which not only provide book lovers an opportunity to buy their favorite books being from home but also give them a chance to read online and become e-readers. All these facilities have led decrease of sales volume continuously for traditional bookstores.

Qian Huiqing, the manager assistant of Xinhua Bookstore in Zhangjiagang city, Jiangsu province rued, "Our bookstore has been seriously affected by online stores. So far, this year's sales volume dropped by 15-20 percent compared with the last year. "

The Xinhua Bookstore in Zhangjiagang city, Jiangsu province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xinhua bookstore is state-owned, so one can understand how difficult it would be for private bookstores in the present situation.

However, of late, the traditional bookstores in Zhangjiagang are taking several steps to compete with online sellers.

Particularly, Xinhua bookstore has taken a series of measures including launching a WeChat account, holding reading clubs for students and opening a self-service book store in the downtown area.

While some traditional bookstores are also coming up with coffee centers alongside bookstores and providing free WiFi for readers.

In addition, the Xinhua bookstore has been redecorated to make the books' classification more clear and highlight private space to encourage customers to read books at the store.

Actually, we are following the pattern of 'eat, drink and read.' In future, our store will be a cultural hotspot and readers can make friends here too. The facility, which online bookstores could not provide, claimed a traditional bookstore owner.

A woman surnamed Wang said, "I prefer to buy books at traditional stores because I cannot see the detailed book content on Internet while the physical stores enable me to see the details and make an appropriate choice."

A customer selects books in the Xinhua Bookstore in Zhangjiagang city, Jiangsu province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

There are about 140,000 to 150,000 bookstores in China, among which there are 14,000 State-owned Xinhua Bookstores.

By Xu Jin, edited by Shahnawaz Akhtar