Return of the bookworms (thanks to the pandemic)

Yes, people read books. And mind, people who read books are generally more balanced, well-informed and perhaps, more worldly.

It is also proven that those who grow up with books have better command of language, vocabulary, grammar, comprehension and overall writing skills. Reading also expands the imagination and makes one more knowledgeable.

However, books can also be pricey to certain quarters. Imported books cost as much as RM30, which could be mainly due to the exchange rates and some tax. Hence, the decision for many to turn to the Internet where most things are free.

Apparently, people generally lose concentration after eight seconds due to increased digitised lifestyle on the brain.

While newer parents seem to treat electronic devices as a remedy to their rowdy children, it should be known that being too exposed to such items from a young age could be detrimental to any individual’s growth.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has discouraged children from going out which also limits their physical interactions.

Now, isn’t it a good time for parents to get their children interested in books?

Children’s, Self-help Books Top MCO Sales

Thanks to affordable bookstore BookXcess, parents now wouldn’t have to worry about buying books with high prices.

The bookstore, which had its humble beginnings in Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya, measuring only 300 sq ft, was also the mastermind behind the Big Bad Wolf (BBW) sale which is known as “The Mother of Book Sales” in Malaysia.

It wasn’t meant for e-commerce in the beginning, but like every industry, it struggled with the pandemic and had to swiftly adapt to digitalisation.

It was a rough journey for co-founders Jacqueline Ng and Andrew Yap last year as they went through the transition during the series of Movement Control Orders (MCOs).

Their hard work paid off though, as BBW’s first virtual sale was a resounding success.

“I’ve been focusing a lot on the business operation because suddenly, we need to switch from a very physical trading-kind of business model to e-commerce. And that is a brand new thing to me,” Ng said.

She admitted she never once bought anything online, so it was a huge and steep learning curve for her, especially when it comes to leading the team towards the digitalisation transition.

“So, the first MCO in March and April last year, we had to refocus our sales online because at that time, shops had to be closed. All events had been cancelled and we started to learn how to do e-commerce,” said Ng.

She said the team had to learn how to relay out the warehouse, and how to do e-fulfilment which is like a whole new world, especially when it involves packing millions of books for one event, versus picking individual orders for each and every customer.

Ng said the best-selling genres during the MCO period were children’s books and self-help books.

“During the MCO, especially when they have to stay at home, they need to keep themselves occupied. And some people pick up a new hobby and some just want to do some personal development so they started to buy books,” Ng said.

A lot of parents were also concerned their children are being left behind in their education.

Many people were left feeling uncertain and worried during the lockdown that they needed to buy self-help books for support.

“Some people are going through some (challenging) situations during this time. Some people are trying to manage, you know, in terms of their mental health. This is quite a stressful time for most people. So, I’m glad that they are reading about it.”

Physical Books Over E-books

The Covid-19 pandemic has encouraged contactless solutions. Payments are better conducted using credit cards, e-wallets or online transactions.

Although there are e-books, Ng felt books are always better in their physical state.

Of course, most bookworms would agree that there is nothing better than to hold a physical solid copy in their hands, and run through its pages while it makes a satisfying flipping sound.

“We still believe in the power of written work. We still believe in holding a physical book — especially for children. A huge part of our business is our children’s books.

“We still believe that children should not be introduced to gadgets too early and especially for very young early learning stages,” Ng said.

She said children can develop their motor skills through touching and flipping the pages.

“We are also not undermining the need for e-books and convenience. But we don’t sell digital books at the moment,” Ng said.

 

More Readers

 Prices at BookXcess are lower as most of the books are overprint titles which would offer between 50% and 80% off the recommended retail price.

“I feel that after BookXcess and BBW came into the picture, we allow the audience to actually read because of the price point. So, they experiment with new genres, new authors, because the initial outlay is low.

“Then, we get to pick a book and read, and the readers could develop different interests that they didn’t realise they had, or the different writing style that they’d never recognise or discover,” Ng said.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but there’s still hope to encourage young adults to start reading.

When Ng and Yap started BookXcess, it was difficult for them to sell books to young adults and they didn’t have a “Young Adult” category back then.

Within five years, however, they have observed a huge increase of sales in young adult books.

“What we recognised was that kids, who began with us when we were starting, have grown up to be young adults. They were seven or six, and now they are 13 or 14, and they are already a bit better on themselves,” she said.

Ng said English literacy rate has also improved compared to her time.

Of Being a Businesswoman

Everyone has their fair share of challenges. As a businesswoman, Ng said people’s expectations are always different even in advanced countries. Times have changed and there are more female CEOs and entrepreneurs.

“In general, I feel that as a woman, you could still feel a difference like how they perceive us.

“If a male reacts, people perceive it so differently. If a female reacts, people will see it as overreacting,” she added. Usually, women and men think differently. Ng admits that as a woman, she naturally worries a lot and overthinks. She added that learning how to manage one’s own fear is important

BookXcess currently has 12 stores in Malaysia. Another outlet is expected to be opened at MyTOWN Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur (KL), in a few months.

It is also set to launch its latest flagship store in REXKL 2.0 where readers can enjoy a cup of coffee while reading. The outlet is expected to retain the brand’s trademark maze-like, floor-to- ceiling bookcases.