Eslite Co., Ltd., a cultural landmark in Taiwan and Taipei, began in 1989, and is a boutique bookstore that is well known to reading lovers for 24 hours, and its online version of the Eslite online bookstore has now opened, and opened its first branch in Suzhou in 2015
Eslite Bookstore was founded in 1989 by Renai Road Circle, Taipei, and has developed into a composite business model with cultural creativity as the core in line with the original intention of humanities, art, creativity and life. At the beginning of its establishment, Eslite took the bookstore as the core of the brand, and its business scope has gradually expanded to galleries, publishing, exhibition and performance activities, art and cultural spaces and courses, cultural and creative products, as well as the operation of various types of special channels such as MRT stations, hospitals, schools, etc., and extended to the development and operation of shopping malls and the construction of professional logistics centers. Eslite is a "collective creation of urban people", a chain but not a replication business model, respecting the cultural characteristics of various places, and through the interactive accumulation of "people, space and activities", it has developed different place spirits and business contents, shaping the cultural atmosphere of different corners and connotations in the city.
Bookstore features
This Taiwanese brand is very different from the traditional bookstore in the general impression. As soon as you step into the door of the Eslite Dunnan store, you can smell the aroma of strong coffee in the bookstore, accompanied by the smell of books, the two aromas are wonderfully combined in the air, exuding a charming atmosphere. Bright and open space, a book city with the flavor of a European library, symmetrical and layered space, coherent and compartmentalized, contrary to the dullness and standardization of traditional bookstores, with calm, elegant and warm colors as its decoration features, creating an atmosphere full of humanistic and artistic temperament, so that everyone unconsciously whispers and slows down as soon as they enter Eslite Bookstore.
Business model
The "local to local conditions" business mode is another innovation of Eslite, and the establishment of each Eslite store will be based on the local cultural color and life style, design different furnishing styles and book contents, but also achieve the characteristics of regional integration. For example, in Ximending, Taipei, where teenagers gather, there is a book area for comics and romances; Tianmu store focuses on leisure, travel and home books; The Central and South stores have increased the proportion of Chinese books.
Eslite's biggest innovation is the renovation of the "bookstore" business concept, elevating the bookstore into a leisure place for new culture, especially since March 1999, the 1,653-square-meter Eslite Dunnan store has been open to 24 hours. This extremely innovative business initiative has received an enthusiastic response, and the night owl people are no longer nowhere to go, meeting the diverse needs of modern life.
After Eslite's business model was well received, other chain bookstores followed suit, and kept up with Eslite in terms of decoration, reading space, book selection, etc., and all of a sudden all large bookstores became very "temperamental", but Eslite's business results still surpassed others. One culture person said, "That's what makes it great." Bookstores can imitate the hardware design of Eslite, such as the format and color of bookcases, but Eslite's business philosophy and core values cannot be learned by others.
When the bookstore is not only about books, but also about humanity, creativity, art, and the spirit of life, it is no longer a place to just buy books and pay for them, which is the charm of Eslite. It is foreseeable that Eslite, which has been spreading the fragrance of books for more than 20 years, will continue to spread the rich reading culture and capture people's hearts with bookstores.
Foundation for success
Eslite's development strategy breaks the traditional bookstore business model, first laying the foundation for success with the brand, and then driving the "compound operation" of shopping malls, bookstores and retail, so that bookstores not only sell books, but also include bookstores, galleries, flower shops, shopping malls, and restaurants.
Eslite defines bookstores as a diverse, dynamic cultural undertaking rather than a retail business, and its creativity in event marketing is unmatched by other bookstore chains. In addition to showcasing the value of reading with exquisite and elegant reading space planning and elaborate furnishings, it also holds various extended reading activities such as speeches, seminars, performances and exhibitions for a long time, holding at least 4,500 speeches and exhibitions every year, covering literature, drama, environmental protection, dance and art, creating various possibilities for dialogue between bookstores and readers.
Eslite strives to create a reading space and a reading mood, and its bookcase panels are tilted at 15 degrees to be considerate of readers, so that the books on the shelves are within reach, standing or sitting, whatever you like. A person who loves to visit Eslite pointed out that Eslite Bookstore makes the bookstore no longer just a place to buy books, but a world of books that you can leisurely wander into.
The combination of books is the business feature of Eslite. "Eslite Changbang" regularly recommends some good books to readers that are a little unpopular, and even if the book has slept on the shelf for 3 months, it will not be sent to the warehouse, which is the difference between Eslite and traditional bookstores, and praises book lovers. In fact, this seemingly contrarian operation method, under the careful planning of Eslite, some unpopular books are often unpopular, and the sales are wonderful. Wu Qingyou said that bestsellers may have a high turnover rate and can bring high profits, but they are not his business focus. "Good books are not lonely" is the goal they strive for.
In addition, Eslite first broke the traditional book classification and innovated the planning and platform display methods of category book areas from the early stage, thereby driving new images of publishing. For example, unique gender studies, Taiwan studies, and natural ecology and environmental protection have gradually developed many previously immature publishing books in Taiwan.
Hong Kong Branch
On August 11, 2012, Eslite Bookstore, Taiwan's most representative cultural and creative brand, opened its first branch outside the island, Hong Kong Causeway Bay. Located in the bustling Hysan Place in Causeway Bay, the store covers an area of 1,000 square meters and brings the original taste of Eslite to Hong Kong. Stationed in Hong Kong for nearly half a year, the popularity has always been thriving. The performance has maintained stable growth, and the store's turnover is now comparable to that of the Taipei Xinyi store. In the next five years, Eslite plans to open three to five more stores in Hong Kong.
Mainland branches
On May 27, 2011, the first branch of Taiwan's well-known Eslite Bookstore in mainland China, Eslite Suzhou Branch, officially opened its groundwork. Located on the east bank of Jinji Lake in Suzhou Industrial Park, adjacent to the InterContinental Hotel, Eslite Suzhou Branch will be a cross-border creative platform integrating culture, performance, art, business, tourism and talent cultivation, and officially opened in November 2015.
In the space of nearly 50,000 square meters, there are not only complete shopping malls, eslite bookstores, gourmet restaurants and cafes, but also galleries, multi-functional audio-visual performances, experimental theaters, art and cultural spaces, etc., and various cultural activities will be introduced in the future, and lectures and theatrical performances will be held. It has also established contact with Suzhou artists and cultural workers, and has become a new landmark of urban culture that integrates the local spirit of Suzhou.
The second Eslite bookstore in mainland China will soon be located in Shanghai Tower, a branch in Lujiazui, Pudong, on the 52nd, 53rd and 54th floors of Shanghai Tower, which will be the "tallest bookstore on the surface". The third business base will be located in the MixC in Nanshan China Resources City, Shenzhen, which is the first store opened by Eslite in South China, with a total operating area of more than 30,000 square meters, and will open at the same time as the MixC in the second half of 2017 at the earliest.
