How China’s bookstores are evolving experiential retail
REPORT
23 May 2024
How China’s bookstores are evolving experiential retail

Long before the ‘hot girl’ movement propelled reading into the mainstream consciousness, China was already a country filled with bibliophiles. Today, its bookstores are fulfilling a new role, serving as community hubs and brand opportunities to strengthen customer loyalty.

Dianshun Ren

Dianshun Ren is the editor-in-chief of China Publishers Magazine and a researcher at Zhongnan Media Industry Research Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in media economics from the Renmin University of China and served as a postdoctoral fellow in new media at Peking University. Ren’s research focuses on the publishing industry, digital publishing, and new media fields as he strives to promote the integrated development of the publishing industry, academia, and research.

Tom Griffiths

Tom Griffiths is the managing director at Stink Studios in China, a creative advertising and digital experience company. Throughout his career, Griffiths has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands in the fashion, luxury, and travel sectors, helping them reach Western and Chinese consumers and tourists. He has also been involved in the publishing industry, having worked in bookshops in New Zealand and the UK.

Angel Martinez

Angel Martinez is a culture writer and content strategist based in Manila, Philippines. She recently finished a one-year fellowship at Kontinentalist, an award-winning editorial studio that tells data stories about Asia. Today, she writes about the internet, identity, and their intersections for publications like VICE, i-D, Vox, and Teen Vogue. When she’s not knee-deep in the written word, you can find her crying over the New Year’s Eve scene from When Harry Met Sally… (1989) and cafe-hopping in pursuit of the perfect Spanish latté.