LOCATED in an ideal central location in the MyTOWN Shopping Centre in Cheras, KL, BookXcess’s newest outlet (also its 13th), offers a unique experience for shoppers hoping to make additions to their home libraries.
While it’s entrance is attention grabbing on its own merits, with a shelf of affordably priced trending books and a Ronald McDonald lookalike – seemingly ready to lob a couple burgers far afield – just walking a few steps into the store, it stands out against other outlets with its bright pop art dominating the walls, and walking a few steps further, it’s apparent the store is much bigger than first blush.
In terms of design, the location has a very modern exposed industrial look, with bare concrete walls, gravel-lined walkways (the handicapped be wary), with wiring and lighting fixtures all out in the open.
There’s an openness to the design that complements the rows and rows of book-laden shelves, inviting shoppers to explore.
There are also a lot of unique elements that make the store pop, like the real bathtub filled with ‘bath books’, a functional piano for anyone curious enough to play, the aforementioned pop art, all of which are ‘Instagrammable’ for the social media conscious among us.
In that regard, there is also an art gallery located near the store’s cafe, filled with art by local artists that are available for purchase.
This location is 31,200 square feet in size, with more than 171,000 books and plenty of space in between. Notably this BookXcess is the first bookstore with two food outlets – namely cafe Whisk, which offers coffee and desserts, and Ume Tei, a Japanese restaurant with roots in Okinawa that offers set meals and noodle dishes.
Martin Cross, Publishing Director for BookXcess, stresses that despite the rise of e-books, physical books are as popular as ever. In fact, e-book sales peaked six years or so ago. Books have also always been good gifts, imparting a personal touch from the buyer to the receiver.
Since launching in 2007, BookXcess has been able to build itself a reputation as the number one spot for affordable books (of every kind) in Malaysia. – The Vibes, October 10, 2021