The 15th Shanghai Book air kicked off on Aug 15 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center as well as 100 other venues across Shanghai. PHOTOS BY GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY

Brick-and-mortar bookstores were once said to be on the verge of extinction, but the recently concluded Shanghai Book Fair has shown that consumers appreciate the human touch and the value-added experiences that these stores can offer

More than 1,000 events took place at about 100 venues across the city, including 78 bookshops, during the Aug 15 to 21 Shanghai Book Fair, signaling that brick-and-mortar business is making a comeback, according to industry insiders.

"In the past few years we have witnessed the revival of brick-and-mortar bookshops in the city," said Xu Jiong, director of the municipal administration of press and publication, at a forum on the creative development of physical bookstores during the Shanghai Book Fair. "More than 40 new bookshops, each with distinctive aesthetics and specialties, have emerged since 2017, even in suburban areas such as Zhangjiang and Lingang."

Xu noted that many of these bookstores have special spaces reserved for book signings and reading events, making them ideal venues for hosting activities during the Shanghai Book Fair. For example, the JIC Bookstore, which is located in a new high-rise building on the northern Bund area overlooking the Huangpu River, has hosted a large number of the events for the Shanghai International Literary Week, which is part of the book fair.

Liu Xiaokai, the former director of the print and distribution division under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said at the forum that the function of brick-and-mortar bookstores have also expanded from being just a retailer to a "provider of public service, architect of spiritual homes, defender of social values and creator of market values". He attributed the revival of brick-and-mortar bookstores in China to support from the government, changes in the consumption patterns of the middle-income group, and the "perseverance of the 160,000 bookstores in the country".

According to Liu, the growth of brick-and-mortar bookstores in the nation hit a roadblock following the emergence of online bookstores and digital publishing platforms about six years ago. The government has since launched a series of policies supporting the development of bookstores, providing some 1.1 billion yuan ($160 million) in financial aid to them between 2013 and 2017. The government also introduced a policy in 2013 that exempted VAT taxation for the sales of books. This policy will be in effect till 2020.

Liu added that the capital market has been supportive of the resurgence of bookstores as well. He cited a survey released in January which found that mall operators in China usually offered preferential rental rates —sometimes more than 50 percent lower — to bookstore tenants.