BOOK lovers have further reason to rejoice when BookXcess launched its eighth store at Gurney Paragon Mall in George Town today.
Dubbed ‘The House of a Million Stories’ for having about one million books, it features the longest bookshelf in Malaysia at 70m in length and a two-storey bookshelf measuring 10m high.
It takes up the entire 7th floor and part of the 8th floor, covering about 27,000sq ft of the shopping mall and featuring a variety of books from art and design to literature, fiction, non-fiction, young adult, children’s books and many more hidden gems.
The difference between the store and its ‘Big Bad Wolf’ sale held in Gurney Paragon Mall in August last year is that visitors will now find comfortable reading spaces to browse the sample books available. In addition, they can also visit Café Wolf, BookXcess’ very own in-store café for refreshments or a quick bite.
Speaking at the launch of the new BookXcess store, Pulau Tikus assemblyman Chris Lee Chun Kit said he now does not need to wait for the annual ‘Big Bad Wolf’ sale anymore as they have a permanent place in Penang.
“I must say the place looks impressive and I can’t believe the whole seventh floor is transformed into a bookstore. The most important thing is affordable books. Nowadays as we know, books can be quite expensive. Books should not be enjoyed by only those who can afford to buy them,” Lee said in his speech.
“Reading is important as it can transform lives. The government is constantly looking to transform Penang into an international city with a high income that is knowledge intensive. The only way to encourage that is through reading because knowledge drives economy.
“And Penang has to catch up with the rest of the world. Time waits for no man and the world also waits for no man.
“The Penang government alone cannot do that. We need the support of all parties. And for that I would like to thank BookXcess and Gurney Paragon Mall.”
Also present at the launch were Hunza Group founder and executive advisor Datuk Seri Khor Teng Tong, managing director Datuk Khor Siang Gin, executive directors Khor Tze Ming and Lily Tan, BookXcess founder Andrew Yap, chief innovation officer Chua Yuleen and head of marketing Dipak Madhavan.
All of them later cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the bookstore, which was then followed by a lion dance performance to usher in good business.
Later when asked why he is in pouring in ‘millions of dollars’ into a business some may term as a sunset industry since many young ones are reading online, Yap flashed a smile before answering.
“First, we’ve to answer the fundamental question: Do people want to read books physically or digitally? The answer is a resounding Yes, people will want to read books physically.
“The feel, touch and smell of a book – it’s a human interaction thing. When our eyes read the printed words on paper, it’s an experience you cannot replace with the screen.
“Many among us are so fed with the phone. And the last thing we want to do is to look at the screen again.
“We’re all finding ways for digital detox. Books are an escape and are supposed to be relaxing. You cannot be just reading books through digital format; you know it’s just like marrying a robot. You want a real person.
“We try to do exciting things to get people to come to us. It’s not easy to get the youths, especially the kids, to come to the bookstore. There are so many distractions.
“Since we started our Big Bad Wolf sale, we’ve built readership. But nobody followed up. So, we come back. Based on our concept to make books affordable, we’ve to sell a lot of books. We’ve to go for volume.”
On why BookXcess chose Gurney Paragon Mall, Yap said not many malls could accommodate their ‘such crazy idea’.
Looking at the reporters, Yap said: “All of you should be very proud of Penang. There’s no other state in Malaysia like Penang that does not destroy its heritage … such a beautiful place. Everyone in Klang Valley is very jealous of Penang. Best food after food and the buildings. Everything is nice here.
“How we benchmark whether this will do well is also in line with the Penang government’s move to promote arts and culture. All the years of the George Town Festival (GTF) are really amazing and what Joe Sidek (GFT director) does with GTF is something that people from KL came to Penang for. So, reading is the next step to encourage the arts.”
Yap said when he and his wife Jacqueline Ng opened their first outlet in Amcorp Mall in 2007, they did not imagine that one day they would be setting up the longest bookstore in Malaysia and probably South East Asia at Gurney Paragon Mall.
They also have retail outlets at the Starling, fahrenheit88, as well as gift stores called BookXcess XS in 1 Utama, SS15 Courtyard and Centro Mall, Klang. In May 2018, BookXcess launched their only 24-hour bookstore at Tamarind Square in Cyberjaya, Selangor.
BookXcess in Gurney Paragon Mall has a Red Readerhood’s corner where customers can purchase and donate a book for distribution to those in need. For every book a customer donates, BookXcess will match it with another book.
The first four homes that will benefit from this initiative, which BookXcess started in 2011, will be House of Hope, The Salvation Army, St Joseph’s Home and Hope Worldwide Penang.
Much credit of the spectacular design of the BookXcess in Gurney Paragon Mall must go to their chief innovation officer Chua Yuleen.
“Every bookstore of ours is different. Creativity is our passion. We want to create a unique experience for the readers wherever we go. We want the kids to explore. People still need space to gather and discuss,” he said.
In welcoming BookXcess to their shopping mall, Hunza’s Tze Ming said they have to adapt to changing times.
“The establishment of BookXcess is a great complement to the mushrooming of international schools in Penang,” she said.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alvie Cheng