10 Bookstores Surviving the Digital Age in Indonesia

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian former bookstore giant Gunung Agung is reportedly on the brink of gradually closing its entire store branches in the country this year. The brand known for selling books and stationery is said to not be able to withstand the operational costs of running such a business in the current digital age.

Gunung Agung is unfortunately likely to face the same fate as many bookstore brands in the world that are forced to close operations amid digitization and technological advancements. However, there are still stores that remain open in Indonesia, both large and smaller establishments:

List of bookstores surviving to this day in Indonesia:

1. Gramedia

PT Gramedia Asri Media is a subsidiary of the renowned mass media brand, Kompas Daily. The company manages 100 store branches across Java, Bali, Pangkal Pinang, Palu, and Pekanbaru. The founder, Jakob Oetama started his career as a journalist, then started to open a small bookstore on February 2, 1970.

2. Books & Beyond

Books & Beyond is a bookstore under PT Gratia Prima Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Multipolar Group Tbk and Lippo Group. Its stores not only offer books but also educational toys to gadgets. Currently, there are a total of 26 branches spread across Jakarta, Medan, Palembang, Makassar, and Balikpapan.

3. Kinokuniya

Kinokuniya was founded by Moichi Tanabe on January 22, 1927 in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Since 1969, the bookstore that still survives in Indonesia to this day has begun to expand outlets globally. In Indonesia, Kinokuniya outlets can only be found at Grand Indonesia, because the branch at Plaza Senayan has been permanently closed.

4. Aksara Kemang

Aksara Bookstore located at Kemang Raya No.8B in South Jakarta announced the news of discontinuing operations in 2020 via Instagram. However, the store, which was founded in 2001, was reopened in 2021. Apart from being a favorite location for book geeks, Aksara also functions as a community space.

5. Toko Buku Sriwedari

Sriwedari Bookstore or better known as Mburi Sriwedari has accompanied the community of Solo since the 1990s. In 2006-2012, there were still many people who were willing to jostle to find books. Unfortunately, only half of the initial 96 bookstore kiosks that existed in this location are still in business.

6. Togamas

Toko Togamas was founded on December 15, 1990, in Malang by Johan Budhie Sava and Swandayani. They opened a bookstore in the living room of their house. But due to overwhelming demands, operations were moved to a bigger location. Until now, the outlets are spread across Java and Bali.

7. Kwitang

Kwitang is one of the many bookstore communities in Indonesia that still survive in Jakarta. This second-hand book paradise in Senen District, Central Jakarta, sets relatively low prices attainable by the student market it aims at. It now not only sells used books but also new ones.

8. Terban Book Stall

This is located along the sidewalks of Jalan Kahar Muzakir, Terban, in Yogyakarta, with several homegrown bookstores. Open from 08:00 to 19:00 WIB, this location is the right choice for people who want to find books at low prices and has gained popularity due to its affordability with residents of surrounding cities.

9. Shopping Center

For Yogyakarta residents, Shopping Center is the hub for cheap and complete book collections. The place, which is also known as Taman Pintar, has 124 stalls. All of the traders here are members of the Book Traders Cooperative (KOPAKU) which was formed in 1988.

10. Blok M Basement 

The Blok M area in Jakarta also provides a community of bookstore stalls that still survive today. Despite exclusively selling used books, many people still flock to this area in search of collectibles.

MELYNDA DWI PUSPITA

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