In 32 years, he did not sell a teaching auxiliary book. The father and son of this bookstore said ...

Discover the "first bucket of gold" in the teaching auxiliary book

"The first bucket of gold in the bookstore was dug on the auxiliary book, but we only did it for 2 years." Zhang Houhuan, 73, recalled. He has retired for many years, and he usually takes time to come to the store.

Zhang Houzhang was born in the countryside of Caidian. Due to the poor family, Zhang Houyu, who was young, often went to school with a jar of pickles in a area of ​​the week and was eaten until Saturday. Hard study experience made Zhang Houyi know the precious knowledge from an early age.

After the college entrance examination was resumed in 1977, Zhang Houyi was admitted to college. In 1988, Wenqiao Bookstore was formally founded and positioned as a social science bookstore. His wife Wen Qiao was responsible for bookstore management. Zhang Houyi was a consultant.

Zhang Houyi (front) who has retired often come to the bookstore to turn around to help. Reporter Miao Jian Photo

At the beginning of the establishment of the bookstore, it was difficult to open the market. Zhang Houyi came up with a way: the provincial capital cities in each province had middle schools, education bureaus, and teaching and research rooms. How many middle schools are there in a city, they write the receiving unit from one middle school to fifty, and finally send a total of 10,000 letters. "

After receiving the letter from the school, I contacted them and placed the order. Steady heels.

He taught and assisted the business red but he decided to withdraw

In 1990, when the business auxiliary book was popular, Zhang Houyi decided to withdraw from this field to concentrate on selling humanities and social science books. "A large part of those books is only for books that make fast money, and the value is not great."

Zhang Houyi (front) who has retired often come to the bookstore to see his beloved books. Reporter Miao Jian Photo

Zhang Houyi is a book of love, and the selection of books is also very particular. He sells books in the fields of literature, history, philosophy, art and other fields. There are hot books such as "The Tragedy of the Great Country", and there are also relatively remote books such as "The Complete Works of Li Jingchi Zhouyi" and "Changshu Weng's Tibetan Books". It was all from himself.

Every January and August each year, he will go to the National Book Fair twice to participate in the National Book Fair, which takes two or three days each time. Many humanities and social science books are not easy to sell. He depends on experience. "Some books can even be accurately bought."

Relying on his efforts, Wenqiao Bookstore gradually launched its reputation. In 2005, he became a special distribution store of the National Ancient Books Publishing House. "There are only 9 private bookstores who have obtained this qualification." Many customers insist on buying books in the store in the store for 2030.

With this business model, the bookstore lived stubbornly and opened an online shop in Tmall.

Father and son insist on not selling teaching aids

In 2016, Zhang Hou's son Zhang Rui began to take over the bookstore. He is a "post -80s". He studied art design and created his career. The two were somewhat different in the business philosophy, and Zhang Houhuan thought it was a "generation ditch." "Regardless of whether there is a gap, but we are consistent in this point of‘ do n’t sell teaching auxiliary books. ”Zhang Rui said.

Zhang Rui is dealing with online store orders. Reporter Miao Jian Photo

In the first step, Zhang Rui expanded books from more than 3,000 to 12,000. "Now the proportion of our sales on the Internet accounts for 60%. Facing countless potential customers directly, each book will have a market." Unlike his father, Zhang Rui requires that the publisher will tell himself as long as the new book is published, and you must inform himself as soon as possible. , Easy to place orders.

Although nearly 10,000 books are added, none of them are teaching auxiliary books. "Actually, if we want to enter the (teaching auxiliary book market), it is very simple." Zhang Rui said that there are more than a hundred publishing houses that they maintain cooperation all year round, and almost every one will publish some teaching auxiliary books, but he has never placed the order, but he has never got the order. Essence "As long as we do not take the initiative, the publisher will not sell to us, which has become a tacit understanding between us." Zhang Rui told reporters that at present teaching and assistant books are better to sell and profits. Selling, he was considered "stupid" as many people as his father.

Zhang Houyu (right), Zhang Rui and his son's books in the bookstore. Reporter Miao Jian Photo

Zhang Rui said that there are many reasons for insisting on not selling teaching aids. The main reason is affected by his father, that is, no matter what industry is engaged in or to do some more valuable things; secondly "Your own characteristics".

"Be a good field of your own"

Market research data shows that the size of my country's teaching aids is about 40 billion yuan, bringing 60%of the profit to the entire publishing industry, and more than 70%of the teaching aids are published by private scholars.

In Hubei Publishing Cultural City Book wholesale Market, most bookstores are sold and assisted, and some bookstores even sell only teaching auxiliary books.

Zhang Houyi (left), Zhang Rui and his son checked the books in the bookstore. Reporter Miao Jian Photo

The choice and persistence of the father and son expressed their understanding and admiration.

"From my coming to the store, I know the principle of the boss." Employee Liu Hai has worked in the bookstore for 20 years. Although many of the surrounding bookstores will sell teaching aids, he thinks that his own shop is not a "alien", "do a good job of himself, do yourself well The field is OK. "

Like Wenqiao Bookstore, Wuhan Baicao Garden Bookstore and Wuhan Mirror Free Bookstore do not sell teaching aids. In an interview with reporters, Wang Guolin and Cheng Lei, the two leaders, said, "This is just a question of business philosophy, and there is no good or bad." In their opinion, the positioning of each bookstore will be different, and each bookstore will decide to sell or not to teach auxiliary books based on their positioning.

Produced by the Yangtze River Daily: Reporter Shi Qiang Video: Main Miao Jian Xiong Li text provides Shi Qiang's review.

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