Tomohiro Umetani, president of CCC Tsutaya Books Co, which plans to open dozens of bookshops in Tokyo to serve as shared offices and where customers can relax as they would in a lounge.
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We believe the profitability of our bookstores will go up by adding the function of shared lounges.
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snowymountainhell
Loved the concept at Border’s (RIP), Barnes & Noble’s, and Eslite but is this a wise business choice when so much in the last 2 years has been designed for people to ‘stay home’, avoid clustering, etc?
JeffLee
Huh? If their primary function is "shared offices," then they aren't "bookshops."
GBR48
I do like to see wild and unrestrained optimism, and I'm a big fan of bookshops (with or without comfy seats). But given the on-going hamsterisation of the general public in their homes, he may lose less money by simply walking the streets of Tokyo, handing out free books to passers-by at random intervals.
Sven Asai
First it was still funny, converting a few hotel rooms, lobbies etc into mobile offices, but now it’s becoming a bit disturbing when in numbers. Every store or business desperately tries to transform itself in a kind of profitable rental business office. Even the onsen we have just visited, made the bar seats into corona distance like mini business boxes with those separating plastic shields. You can also often now watch work teams in restaurants, not eating so much there, but hammering their keyboards and loudly discussing their next senseless projects, quite disgusting for all normal restaurant guests who want to relax and eat a good meal in a restaurant atmosphere. Here in this case some bookstores, and I really wonder what strange ideas come next. How about transforming public toilets , misused as business offices, fully equipped with LAN, WiFi, wall mounted IT rental devices, and if you are ready with whatever you have done there, you can chose to print it on paper or just skip printing and press paper feed a few times to get some sheets for you know what I mean. lol
Numan
If you make it hi-end, people will come. The Tsutaya in Daikanyama has desks, tables, sofas, restaurants, bar, music, and kids area. It is never empty.