Covid19 Coronavirus has really put a dent in book sales in China
Thanks to
- The Passive Voice for sharing the news
- The South China Morning Post for reporting on it
What is The South China Morning Post reporting?
- China’s seventy thousand bookstores are taking a hit from the Coronavirus
- Many cities in China have closed down shops
- Book shops were already under pressure from ebooks
- For stores that have reopened, foot traffic is down 90%. Sales have also dropped 90%
- There is a quote from one small business owner saying that if conditions don’t improve they will be out of business within 2 to 3 months
It’s really scary news
How does this apply to the rest of the world?
Well, the list of countries with serious Covid19 outbreaks is now
- China, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Italy
The list of countries with smaller outbreaks has also expanded
If Covid19 keeps spreading, then many countries will institute similar measures as China and Italy and South Korea. That includes closing down shops and imposing city lockdowns
It might leave a lot of companies in the same situation as Chinese bookstores
Please take a look at our post on What impact the Covid19 Coronavirus might have on Books & Publishing for more exploration of this topic