This has made many people wonder whether physical 'bricks and mortar' bookstores will soon become a thing of the past.

　　Yi Yali is one of them - a traditional bookstore owner struggling to survive in the digital era.

　　"Between 1997 and 2010, real bookstore business reached its peak with its rapid growth. Many featured bookstores have emerged at that time. However, the bookstore business has been in a decline since 2010 due to rising costs. This includes expensive human resources and rents."

　　当当网拟3年开千家实体书店

　　However, Yin Changlong, General Manager of Shenzhen Publication and Distribution Group, disagrees with that view, saying the traditional bookstore business has not yet entered the ranks of so-called sunset industries.

　　"It is the failure of business strategies rather than the fall of brick-and-mortar bookstore industry itself. The biggest challenge for traditional bookstore lies in its single form, which makes it hard to build strong ties with customer. As such, bookstore operators need to be more creative."

　　Many physical bookstore owners have adapted their business models, providing optimal sensory experiences for readers.

　　Among the most successful - the Taiwan-based eslite and the Beijing-based SDX Joint Publishing Company. They usually partner with other retailers such as coffee shops and art galleries to create a comprehensive cultural space.

　　Zhang Wei, assistant executive of Dangdang.com says the e-commerce giant wants to follow this business trend.

　　" Our bookstores in the first and second tier cities will be as large as one to two square kilometers, and they will become a cultural complex with sales of books and other related products with higher profits. Meanwhile, we will team up with renowned shopping malls in an attempt to substantially cut bookstores management costs."

　　At the same time, Dangdang will merge its online and offline business and customer services. This is also being seen as a great opportunity for the online retailer to turn around its financial position.

　　Dangdang's first offline bookstore is expected to open in Changsha city next month, occupying 1,200 square meters.

　　Earlier this month, online retailer Amazon also launched its first 'real' bookstore in a Seattle- based shopping mall, making full use of its online business experience in the process.

　　For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.