Online bookstore not popular () 08/16/2002 Online book stores are not popular with Shanghainese, according to a recent survey. Only 3.4 per cent of buyers used the Internet compared with 81 per cent who buy at big book stores.Limited titles, insufficient introduction, delivery hassles and unsatisfactory after-sales service were cited as reasons. The survey was conducted by the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau which sampled 1,000 households and covered 10 downtown areas. Shanghainese spend an average of 29.82 yuan (US$3.6) on each visit to a bookshop with women spending 28.2 yuan and men 31.4 yuan. People aged between 14 and 35 make up nearly half of the book-buying population. Among regular book buyers, 41.5 per cent earn more than 5,000 each month (US$603) while 25.9 per cent earn less than 2,000 (US$241). Private business owners in Shanghai are also book lovers. On average, they buy 1.6 books each time and spend 32.4 yuan. China Daily news
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