Grabbing a virtual lifeline
Physical bookstores are better prepared for uncertain days ahead with a shift online to survive.
WHILE bookshops in the Klang Valley are allowed to operate under the terms of the ongoing – now extended – conditional movement control order (MCO), many of them are facing challenges, such as a reduced number of customers.
What are the long-term plans in these uncertain pandemic times?
Some independent bookshops haven taken steps to migrate online to help sustain business, especially when there are no walkin customers.
Lit Books in Petaling Jaya, for example, closed its physical store, and relied on online orders through the early part of the conditional MCO, which started on Oct 14.
The Government recently announced an extension to the conditional MCO in the Klang Valley, which will now stretch to Nov 9.
But Lit Books is prepared for any outcome.
“We felt that the growth in thenumber of cases in the Petaling district was more worrisome this time around than during the first MCO. In addition, we felt that our online presence was stable enough after the trial by fire during the first MCO, and we are now a lot more able to handle online orders and requests,” says Fong Min Hun, Lit Books co-founder.
Lit Books reopened its store on Oct 28, but the online focus has given the bookshop a vital lifeline.
Fong adds that having gone through the previous MCO, there were a lot less unknowns to worry about this time around. While he felt revenue will be affected during this period, he feels the tremendous support his bookstore had previously received gave him confidence he would pull through.
Gerakbudaya Bookstores in Petaling Jaya on the other hand, said it will continue to be open throughout the conditional MCO, as long as case numbers did not worsen.
Gerakbudaya executive editor William Tham says the new conditional MCO has been easier to cope with, but harder to deal with business wise.
“It’s easier because we know a bit more about what to expect in terms of health and safety regulations, but at the same time the book market is still relatively stagnant. There has not been much time for it to recover after the previous restrictions were eased, so it is very unfortunate that we have to return to this situation again, ” says Tham.
If the conditional MCO is extended beyond Nov 9, Gerakbudaya is ready to weather the storm.
He admits there is more of a sense of “fatigue and low-level resignation” as well as a “certain bleakness” that the challenges previously faced by the industry were still in place.
Nazir Harith Fadzilah, founder of independent KL bookstore Tintabudi, says he had previously recorded a 20% drop in sales at his physical shop, and an average increase of 20%-40% in online sales whenever there is a major Government announcement regarding the pandemic.
For the duration of the conditional MCO, however, things have been a little different.
“We closed our shop from Oct 22-30, because we decided people wouldn’t be coming out much,” says Nazir.
“Our online sales are open, and we saw an increase of about 30%40% from usual.”
Vannitha Balasingam, founder of the curated second-hand bookstore A Word Affair in Taman Desa in KL is also keeping her physical store open through the conditional MCO.
Her shop is open for walk-ins on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, although it also depends on restrictions set by the condominium where it is located.
According to Vannitha, there has been fewer visitors to her shop in the last couple of weeks.
“Many of the regulars are placing orders online instead and are choosing to pick up the books at a later date, or to have them delivered,” she points out.
“During the previous MCO the pop-up was not open until well into the recovery MCO stage. There was a steady flow of visitors during the first three weeks or so, after which things returned to normal before the recent dwindling due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases, ” she says.
Vannitha adds she has been carrying out the same safety protocols in her shop as the previous recovery MCO. Should this conditional MCO be extended further, she says she is bracing herself for more online orders.
Books n Bobs founder Rachel Ang operates exclusively online, and she reveals that during the previous MCO, it had received a spike in sales because of panic buying, and people being unable to work.
“This conditional MCO, however, most people have learnt that there is no need to panic buy. Many brick-and-mortar shops have started moving online so there is a lot more competition online fighting for consumers’ attention, ” says Ang.
“So I don’t foresee a spike like before. If this conditional MCO extends, our sales might even drop as the economy will worsen and consumers will tighten their belts.”
She mentions that while more people are shopping online, they are also spending less due to the worsening economy. How these two factors interact, she notes, will be interesting to observe.