It is reported that two branches of a famous chain bookstore will close because
the rental contract is due. The rent might be too high, which is one of the
reasons that lead to the closure of such once-popular bookstore. Other reasons
may be
1. Fewer and fewer people read for pleasure or self enhancement. Games, social
media networks, films, and dramas are more appealing.
2. Customers' shopping behavior has greatly changed since the advent of online
shopping. Some people like going to real-life bookstores for a preview of
the books they intend to buy, and yet they place orders on online bookstores,
which sell books at a lower price.
3. It may be a trend gaining more and more popularity that E-books are more
welcome. P-books, after all, occupy too much space in a house. Storage may
be a big problem for those who do not have a large house.
There are still other factors that result in the "decline," so to speak, of
the bookstore population.
Do people need bookstores in real life? What roles do bookstores play?
Bookstores are where
1. People have contact with books, of course.
2. Cultural heritage can be passed on through books.
3. Fans can meet writers who are on book promotion tour.
4. A certain ideal is held and meant to spread to more people. For instance,
some bookstores promote the ideal of gender equality, hoping to arouse the
public's awareness of LGBTQ. Some bookstores intend to create a good reading
environment for kids, offering high quality picture books and children
literature.
The list can go on and on, depending on how one views a bookstore. If there is
one bookstore