The HCM City Book Pedestrian Street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1 attracted 4,000 visitors within 10 days after reopening. Photo courtesy of the book street company

HCM CITY — The HCM City Book Street Company is planning to launch an e-commerce website to meet reader demand.

The company’s director Lê Hoàng told local media that the book street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1 reopened on October 9 but many people from outside HCM City have been unable to visit because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The e-commerce website will help readers buy books easily, he said, adding that the company is seeking a partner to develop the website soon.

After only 10 days of re-opening, the book street welcomed nearly 4,000 visitors and earned revenue of more than VNĐ500 million (US$22,000).

The book street company has worked with its partners to organise events to promote a reading culture and has asked people to be safe and optimistic during the "new normal".

The company, along with the southern representative agency of the Việt Nam Publishers’ Association and the Saigon Entrepreneur Weekly, will launch a contest called “Sách Tôi Tâm Đắc” (My Favourite Book) until November 19.

The event aims to identify 10 must-read books on entrepreneurship, which will be announced on December 7.

The company will also hold an event called “Entrepreneur and Book Week 2021” on December 1-7.

It will include a photo exhibition “Tôi và Sách” (Books and I), a showcase of books about entrepreneurs, a conference on promoting reading culture in businesses, book introductions, and talk shows with authors.

"Through the event, we want to encourage entrepreneurs to write and introduce helpful books, as well as promote reading culture among entrepreneurs and labourers,” Hoàng said.

The book street opened in January 2016, with 20 stalls offering new and best-selling publications from the country’s leading publishing houses and book distributors.

It has organised dozens of book exhibitions and more than 100 cultural and book-signing events, attracting leading domestic and foreign publishers, distributors and agencies.

In the first six months of 2021, the book street earned turnover of VNĐ15.5 billion (US$681,300), an increase of 4 per cent compared to the same period in 2020.

More than 352,800 books on different topics were sold during the period, up 19 per cent over the same period last year. VNS