|
|
| Hyundai Department Store in Pangyo features this Kyobo Bookstore. | |
South Korean department stores "are reintroducing bookstores and reading lounges as part of a push to keep shoppers in stores longer, driven by the growing 'text hip' trend among young consumers," Pulse reported. One example cited was Youngpoong Bookstore, which in June opened a branch in the basement level of Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam, southern Seoul, and now attracts about 6,000 visitors a month.
"Monthly sales are higher than when the space was used for health, electronics, or sports stores," a Shinsegae official said. "Bookstores bring in not only buyers but also visitors who browse or listen to music, which increases overall foot traffic."
Hyundai Department Store Group is also expanding reading areas in its stores and outlets, with nine locations now hosting bookstores. The group's top-performing Pangyo branch includes a Kyobo Bookstore. A company representative said, "As interest in reading culture and related experiences grows, we are expanding themed spaces where customers can connect with those interests."
---
Knights Of, the independent, inclusive U.K. children's book publisher founded in 2017 by two former Scholastic employees, Aimée Felone and Dee Stevens, ceased trading on October 16 and is expected to go into liquidation during the week of November 10, the Bookseller reported, adding that accountancy firm Hart Shaw was "instructed to place the company in liquidation, pending a vote of the shareholders.... No reason has been given for the collapse, though it is understood that KO had been talking to publishers about a potential sale for some time." Knights Of was named Children's Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022.
The publisher's bookshop, Round Table Books in Brixton Village, South London--a separately run Community Interest Company--recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £50,000 (about $65,885) for a move into a larger space.
---
The European and International Booksellers Federation is again partnering with #EuropeanAuthorsDay #Read4Real, a celebration of literature and creativity held annually from November 11 to December 12 to highlight the "importance of direct engagement with literature, notably through meetings with authors," EIBF's Newsflash reported.