Eslite launches 24-hour operation of Songyan bookstore

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) The Eslite bookstore in Taipei's Songyan area will remain open on a 24-hour basis, starting Saturday, nearly one month after the company closed its signature Xinyi outlet, according to a senior executive.

The bookstore of the Songyan outlet, located in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, has been renovated and expanded to 1.5 times its original size, while its stock of books has been increased threefold, since the Xinyi 24-hour store closed on Dec. 24 last year, Eslite Spectrum Corp. Senior Director Chang Hsiao-ling (張曉玲) said in a press interview Friday.

Since then, the number of customers at the Eslite's Songyan store has tripled, and the increase is expected to continue with the launch of the outlet's 24-hour operations, she said.

Usually, the Songyan store attracts about 2 million customers per year, Chang said, estimating that the number will reach 6 million this year.

In 2023, the number of customers at the Songyan outlet surged to 8 million, she said, attributing the sharp increase to the return of the Taiwan Lantern Festival to Taipei for the first time in 23 years and the opening of the Taipei Dome adjacent to the outlet.

With the start of 24-hour operations at the Songyan outlet, the store's annual revenue is likely to mirror the expansion of its book stock, rising this year by an estimated 30-40 percentage points, according to Chang.