Zhu Ying, vice-president of the technology company that provides big data analysis for the publishing and bookselling industries, said at a recent publishing industry forum that brick-and-mortar bookstores in the country achieved sales of 2.4 billion yuan in the first half of this year, an increase of 4.69 percent over the previous year.

He points out that while large book malls are still the leaders in sales, accounting for half of the total sales volume, this growth was largely driven by small and medium-sized bookstores with annual sales of under 8 million yuan.

Liu Xiaokai, a senior publishing official, also revealed at the same forum that "brick-and-mortar bookstores managed to achieve gradual growth despite instabilities in the economy, and this reflects the resilience of the industry".

Liu suggests that bookstores must find a distinctive competitive edge by exploring indigenous resources and local characteristics in order to stand out. He also praised how China's bookstores have been integrating diverse services, developing cultural merchandise and creating new consumption models.