Readers bury themselves in books in a newly opened Sanlian Bookstore in Beijing on April 23, 2015. The book store is the second in Beijing that runs 24 hours a day. (Photo: China News Servcie/ Zhang Hao)
One year after opening its first round-the-clock store in Beijing, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore (STB) opened a second branch on Thursday, World Book Day.
"At first, we just wanted to do more for the readers. We thought that as long as we could keep the business running, it didn't matter if it was profitable or not," Zhang Zuozhen, STB general manager, told Xinhua.
The bookstore ended up seeing a 58-percent increase in sales and a 111-percent increase in profits last year after it became a 24-hour business in April 2014, according to Zhang.
STB, opened in 1996, is considered a Beijing cultural landmark. In addition to economic gains, it received more than 280,000 visitors and held 81 reading salons in the past year.
Zhang attributed the success partly to state policy and financial support, which encouraged enthusiasm for reading among the public.
The 2014 and 2015 government work reports highlighted promoting reading nationwide, and favorable taxation policies and funding supports have been implemented to help the country's bookstores.
Senior Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have also emphasized the importance of reading.
"We have confidence in the newly opened branch," Zhang added.
Located in the Wudaokou neighborhood in north Beijing, the new store is near multiple universities, including prestigious Tsinghua University. It offers cafe service and its book selection targets young and middle-aged readers.
The bookstore will hold more reading events in partnership with publishers and cultural groups and is also planning to cooperate with nearby college organizations.
