Building a Reading Habit

WHILE Malaysia boasts a high literacy rate (just under 95%), sadly, the percentage of the population that counts reading as a regular pastime is relatively low, either due to a lack of interest or accessibility to adequate reading material.

However, when Malaysians were confined to their homes due the ongoing pandemic, something strange happened, more people began turning to books to keep themselves or their children occupied. As bookstores were ordered to close during the movement control order (MCO) period, they had to purchase their books online.

It was a fortuitous development for BookXcess in particular. The retailer saw sales on its website increase 15 fold, a rate that was maintained even during the conditional movement control order (CMCO).

theSun recently had a chance to speak with co-founder and managing director of BookXcess, Andrew Yap.

During our interview at the BookXcess outlet in Tropicana Gardens Mall, Yap explained: “It seems complicated, but it is actually a very simple business. We just want to make books affordable and accessible.”

One of the concerns when it comes to encouraging the reading habit is the increasing presence of digital devices. These days, physical books must contend with e-books and devices such as Kindle.

There is also the concern that young children are being introduced to smartphones, computers or TV screens too early, making it harder for them to adapt to books as a form of entertainment or knowledge.

Despite this, Yap is confident that there is still a place for books in a digital world.

“I think now that 20 to 30 years have passed since multimedia came into our lives, we can make informed decisions on how to use it best,” he said.

Yap pointed out that numerous studies have been done on the negative effects of too much screen time during a child’s formative years.

“If a child learns to read from a device first, they will not learn how to read deeply. I guarantee you that if you hand a physical book to a child who is used to reading from a device, they will just skim through the book. It’s very important that the first touch point should be a physical book.”

Yap said the MCO has helped to remind people that books are a viable source of knowledge and entertainment.

“Books had their heyday about 40 to 50 years ago. Before the MCO, books were not even in the Top 20 (forms of entertainment) compared to television, cinemas or theme parks. With people stuck at home, there may have been a shortage of devices, or people may have been looking for a new form of entertainment, and so they went back to books.

“Activity books and early readers were our best sellers during the MCO. People think that reading books is just a pastime, but they can be a good source of education as well. If books are accessible and affordable, they can serve as a replacement for those who don’t have the opportunity to go for higher education.”

Yap added that the ultimate goal of BookXcess is to ensure that books are available to those who need them the most.

“That is why we host events like the Big Bad Wolf Sale, and make the books so affordable,” he said.

“Our job is to build a new generation of readers, and to bring back the joy of reading.

“The reason we make sure each of our outlets looks beautiful and well designed is to encourage more people to come and hang out here on weekends. They come and take pictures, and maybe see a book they like. Our stores serve two purposes, providing books for readers, and also attracting a new group of people who otherwise may not come.”

Yap said the company is looking to expand rapidly by the end of the year, adding a total of 15 stores to its current 13 nationwide, as part of its plans to become the nation’s leading retailer of books.

“A bookseller cannot just think of the money, it’s about getting people to read and sharing the joy of reading. Currently, there’s a big void in the market because a lot of smaller retailers have closed down due to the pandemic, so we want to fill it.”

While the company is known for hosting major book sale events – including the aforementioned Big Bad Wolf Sale – the ongoing pandemic has put a temporary stop to that. But Yap said the company is currently in talks to hold “something big online”.

“I can’t reveal much at the moment, but what we want to do is to tie the whole global book industry together, not just the players in the industry, but also readers around the world. So, watch this space!”