Taiwanese bookstore chain Eslite opens second outlet in Hong Kong amid tourism slump
Chain says it is ready for a new challenge in prime area of Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong's tourism and retail slump has not deterred Taiwanese bookstore chain Eslite, which has opened a store in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, its second in the city.
Unlike its Causeway Bay shop, the new branch is more like a department store, selling jewellery, arts and crafts, handbags and skincare products alongside novels and other books.
"The number of books will not be less here in Tsim Sha Tsui, but our Causeway Bay store has a more complete collection," said Allen Su, vice-president of Eslite Spectrum Hong Kong.
Asked why Eslite had opened a store in a prime area of Tsim Sha Tsui, where rents are astronomical, Su said: "Sometimes, you never know the next chocolate … We have the chance to be here and that's why we're here.
"Every day is a challenge for us. When we make a decision, it means we have the capability of being here."
Su said Eslite would not rule out opening more stores in Hong Kong if conditions were right.
The new store, on two floors of Star House next to the Star Ferry Pier, has 200,000 books and will open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm. Many book lovers checked it out yesterday during their lunch breaks.
After a quick browse, Fiona Leung Hoi-lam, a 29-year-old clerk, said it was "not bad".
"It is very complete. I thought the store would be small and it turns out to be quite big," she said. "But it seems to me there are less books here - there are many lifestyle products and decorations of all kinds. It's very diverse."
Despite worrying a little about a possible economic slowdown, Leung said she would not scale down her normal budget of HK$400 to HK$500 when buying books. "If I see a book I really like, I will buy," she said.
Ernie Kam, 20, a university student, said: "The Causeway Bay branch is bigger and I think there are more books there, but I think I will come here in future because it's more convenient. I live in the New Territories."
Mary Ng, a 30-year-old saleswoman at a nearby handbag shop in Star House, was not worried about the competition.
"They target young people. Our customers are foreign and mainland tourists. But business here has been very bad recently - the tourists aren't coming in. It's like the North Pole here. The new bookstore will just bring more people and not more money."
The number of mainland tourists remained flat at about 0.8 per cent growth in the first eight months of this year compared with double-digit growth in previous years. There was a 3.4 per cent drop in non-mainland tourist arrivals.
