RP market still prefers real books to e-books

Despite the availability of online bookstores over the Internet, Powerbooks Specialty Bookstore still sees good prospect of a physical bookstore concept in the Philippines, and plans to open more outlets in other parts of the country.

Powerbooks, a subsidiary company of the Abacus Book and Card Corporation—the operator of National Bookstore chain, formally opened its 10th store, the first outlet outside of Manila, at SM Cebu Northwing.

Powerbooks general manager Maximo Gabriel R. Licauco said that lifestyle bookstore concept in the Philippines is still a profitable business, although online bookstores like the Amazon.com is gaining its popularity among tech-savvy market.

“The Philippine [reading] market still prefers actual reading of books, computer screen may easily tires one’s eyes,” he said emphasizing that online trading of books is not (yet) a threat to physical bookstore concept—at least in the Philippines.

It took the company three years to study the Cebu market for lifestyle bookstore concept, Licauco said and so far, since its soft opening in November 2007, the store has performed fairly well.

In fact, he said Powerbooks in Cebu will soon be opening its coffee shop that is part of the store’s facility to motivate reading, as a form of entertainment and information, especially to the younger generation.

Licauco said the company is still negotiating with a coffee chain brand for partnership of the soon to be opened Powerbook’s Coffee Shop. It will probably be managed by a well-known coffee shop brand.

The Coffee shop is targeted to be opened before the end of this year. It will be situated  in a 50 square-meter area that is currently idle, that is part of the bookstore’s rented space.

The 430 square-meter lifestyle bookstore in Cebu, will not only bank its long term success to the acceptance of Cebuanos, but also it is looking at attracting tourists, and convention crowd.

“Cebu is a growing market, we are seeing good potential here, especially of its position as tourism and convention center in the Philippines,” he said.

In the next few years, the company is planning to open up more regional stores in other key cities in Southern Philippines, the success of Cebu outlet will play a big part of its national expansion plan.

He said the Philippines, is still in an infant stage in terms of embracing reading as a form of entertainment and information tool.

“Reading is still the cheapest way to learn,” he said.

Today’s high-technology generation, however pose a challenge to the physical bookstore business, as information materials, and trading of best-seller and hard-to-find books can be easily found in the Internet. —Ehda M. Dagooc