WORRYING NEW CHAPTER FOR ASIA BOOKS?

Asia Books, the number one English Language book and magazine retailer in Thailand, wants to base its future on the business model on online retailer Amazon.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post late last week, Managing Director Sirote Jiraprayoon said: "From now on, our mindset in doing business will change. More products like iPads, smart phones, educational toys and lifestyle items will be available in our bookshops. We've reached a turning point."
Forgive me, but that's exactly what the ill-fated Borders bookshop chain tried to do - and look what happened there.
Asia Books dominates the 2 billion baht a year English books and magazine market in Thailand. That's its strength. It cannot and should not even try to compete with electronic and lifestyle product retailers. It should stick to what it knows and what it does best.
The picture used to illustrate the story in the newspaper was quite ironic. The caption: "A student browses at an Asia Books store .." highlights a problem that many publishers face - too much browsing and not enough buying.