It really is nice to read a local book-business success story.Christy Yong today in Starmag interviews the CEO of Malaysian online book (and now much else!) retailer Acmamall.com which offers over a million titles.
Christopher Quek reports that the company is doing very well indeed with a 150% increase in its Malaysian customer base this year alone.
He appears to be tapping into the huge regional and rural market, with 80% of the customers living outside the Klang Valley. Now the company plans to expand into other Asian countries and is looking for partners.
Borders has opened its third bookstore in the Klang Valley, and it’s fourth in Malaysia, at The Gardens in Mid Valley City. Daphne Lee interviews Datuk Francis Lee (right) director of franchise holder Berjaya Books who says:When we decided to bring the Borders experience to Malaysia, we wanted to ensure that the stores would not simply be a space filled with bookshelves and checkout counters. ... Borders is about a lifestyle, and families love to visit the store because of the large space, the comfy seats, and the wide variety of books on offer. We also have CDs and a café so there is something to suit every taste.He also makes a big deal about the unwrappedness of the books to enhance browserbility ... but as we have seen before on this blog, this is something that book lovers have mixed feeling about.
(Mind you, I've recently bought a couple of defective books which were shrink wrapped, so do check your purchases carefully wherever you buy them, and be cheeky enough to ask for a discount if you still really want to buy a less than perfect copy.)
This seems a good place also to add a note that Popular has added a new branch in Sunway Pyramid and another at Aeon Bukit Tinggi.
16 comments:
AcmaMall is a disappointment.
I don't think it really matters whether the books in a bookshop are shrinkwrapped or not. What matters most in booksselling is the kind of books you stock. I won't go to a bookshop just because they don't wrap their books!
You mean add-ED - it's opened. Wouldn't be too excited about the Popular in Pyramid - there's not much variety in the English fiction department.
added. ok. thanks. they only let me know a day or two back!
i beg to differ. Acmamall books are great, they have a good selection not carried by the bookstores in town. and the books are in good condition.
what's so disappointing?
I'm glad there's acmamall here, which is so much nearer than amazon.com, which means the shipping is cheaper. It can also be free if you order RM200/- and above of books.
If you like your expensive coffee table book torn, yeah it's not disappointing. If you like to repeatedly deal with their always late courier service, yeah, they're swell.
but have you made an official complaint to Acmamall? what was their response?
at least now you're letting us know the details instead of shooting off a sweeping statement.
"but have you made an official complaint to Acmamall?
Of course not! I like to 'shoot off sweeping statements', cause, baby, that's how I roll.
you sound like you got pmt today, sufian. why so far into grouch mode?
It's Christmas Sharon! Isn't it required by law to scrooge it up?
:)
Have a Merry X-mas!
you play the role very well!
(ahem) I'm going to take that as a compliment.
Acmamall is phishing site stolen customer credit card number. PLEASE BEWARE!!!
I discovered a similiar bookstore to Acmamall but apparently they haven't expanded to Malaysia. If you guys are travelling to Singapore, you can buy books here.
http://opentrolley.com.sg
Ermm...interesting!
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