A 24-Hour, Unattended Bookstore for Introverts: Can It Survive in Shanghai?

On a street corner along the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai, iRen Study glows through the night. Measuring just 14 square meters, this bookstore operates without staff and is open 24 hours a day, providing a quiet refuge.

Since its opening in early October, the bookstore has not lost a single book, and its collection continues to grow.

The name iRen Study is derived from the popular MBTI personality test, where "iRen" refers to those who are introverted and appreciate solitude in Chinese.

Store owner Wang Yanyan recalled that when she first saw the storefront, it struck her as quiet and perfectly "i." Among the various names suggested by AI, she selected this simple yet eye-catching option.

"Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, you'll want to come in," she shared with Shanghai Daily.

Patrons' donations supplement the volumes Wang meticulously curates on the bookshelves. Visitors can read the books for free, scan QR codes to purchase or borrow them, or even exchange their own. Wang has also created a cozy reading area designed to evoke the feel of a home study.

Before opening, Wang asked for advice on social media about what kind of bookstore to start. One woman recommended she check out A Little Bookstore in Nanjing, the capital of neighboring Jiangsu Province.

This 24-hour, unattended shop is just over ten square meters and has been running since 2018, even adding two more locations. Knowing that such a small, unmanned shop could succeed boosted Wang's confidence.

"With today's level of public safety and the civility of book lovers in China, a 24-hour unattended bookstore is definitely feasible," she said.

Wang lives in the suburbs of Shanghai and visits the shop every few days, checking in via surveillance cameras in her spare time to observe how visitors use the space. The store receives about 30 to 60 visitors daily, mainly nearby office workers, as well as parents with children and tourists.

To Wang's surprise, most visitors do not come primarily to read. Only about 20 percent spend more than half an hour reading books. The remaining 80 percent come for two things: healing and low-pressure socializing.

The most frequently picked-up book is the English original, 100 Ways to Happiness. On the store's message board, one of the phrases that resonates most with readers is "We are all travelers; peace of mind is home."

Visitors also exchange birthday wishes there. Wang sees this as a gentle, unobtrusive form of social connection. "It doesn't pressure anyone or demand much effort," she said.

Thirty-year-old Cao Chengzhen is a frequent visitor to the store. Hailing from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, he works as a food delivery courier and runs marathons in Shanghai. A fan of books and solitude, he discovered iRen Study during a run and now treats it as a refuge for sleepless nights. "This place has warmth," he said.

"Everyone works and lives hard, and after work, people need healing," Wang concluded.

Since opening, donations have reached around 500 books. The selection spans foreign-language books, finance, and art, which, in Wang's mind, naturally reflects Shanghai's international and financial character.

However, only four visitors have actually purchased or paid to borrow books. In the first month of operation, Wang's income was roughly 1,300 yuan (US$183), only about a third of the 4,500-yuan monthly rent, mostly from selling self-made postcards. "People just want to support the bookstore. We sell over 100 postcards a day," she said.

Before opening the store, Wang already knew turning a profit would be difficult, and she was prepared to take short-term losses.

In China, the pressure on brick-and-mortar bookstores is particularly intense. The 2024 China Digital Reading Report logged 670 million digital readers, up 17.5 percent from 2023. The publishing big data platform Centrin-eCloud reported that e-commerce made up over 80 percent of book sales last year, while physical retail made up just over 7 percent.

Wang chose this moment to open a bookstore largely because of the needs of her main business. Born in 1992 in Guangxi, she studied English education for both her bachelor's and master's degrees and now runs an online platform serving English teachers nationwide. To obtain a publishing business license for her online business, she needed a street-facing bookshop.

She has joined a group of more than 80 bookstore owners, most of whom simply love reading and hope to make a living from their passion. But the majority of them are losing money. When one member made a 500-yuan sale, the group treated it as a rare success.

Wang took a more pragmatic approach. She decided to use the 50,000-yuan annual office rent to open a bookstore instead, since her team primarily works online.

The budget was not particularly high, but a slowing economy allowed her to rent a storefront in a central location. Wang signed a four-year lease and invested roughly 103,800 yuan upfront, including renovations and furnishings, to bring iRen Study to life.

She could have chosen a less expensive suburban location, reducing annual rent to one-fifth of the current cost. But she didn't want the bookstore to be merely an expense for obtaining a license.

"I've always dreamed of running a bookstore," she said. "If it's in the city center, unexpected opportunities may come my way."

However, she recognizes that dreams alone cannot cover the expenses, and iRen Study must find a means to maintain its operations.

Many people online suggested adding a café, a common strategy among modern bookstores. International examples include Japan's Tsutaya Books and the UK's Waterstones, both of which combine books with coffee or creative lifestyle spaces.

According to a report by the China Industry Research Institute, cafés and creative products typically yield a gross margin of 50 to 70 percent, more than double the 18 to 25 percent margin from book sales alone. With proper pricing and cost control, cafés can help bookstores achieve profitability and also extend the time visitors spend in the store.

Wang, however, decided against adding a café. Coffee was not her field, and she would rather not take up space that could be used for reading. Still, she placed a QR code linking to a nearby café, but in a month, no one used it.

User research indicated that the most popular demand was for book clubs. Wang already had hundreds of thousands of teachers following her online platform, and by sharing the story of opening the bookstore on social media, she drew additional attention and engagement. She believes that revenue from online book clubs could cover the bookstore's costs. The first club is scheduled for November.

When asked for advice for those considering opening a bookstore, Wang said, "If you don't have a way to make it financially sustainable, don't do it. It could ruin your love for reading, and that's not worth it. But if you can't sleep without doing it, then go ahead. When you truly love something, you will find a way to make it work."