Is the megabookstore business model in Malaysia unsustainable?

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The evidence points to shrinking megabookstores, but not a definitive conclusion that the model is unsustainable
Megabookstores in Malaysia appear to be shrinking or disappearing, as shown by a city mall bookstore being replaced by restaurants and by MPH in Mid Valley being reduced to an underground corner and partially replaced by a multinational retail clothing outlet. However, the discussion frames the question of whether the megabookstore business model has become unsustainable as rhetorical and does not provide a definitive empirical verdict. Instead, it points to several contributing pressures, including store footprint changes, competitive retail formats, and the shift toward online reading.
Megabookstores are visibly getting smaller or replaced in malls
The trend described is that large bookstore spaces are no longer lasting in some mall locations, with one city mall bookstore reportedly vanishing and giving way to restaurants. Another example is MPH in Mid Valley, which is said to have been taken away from its former larger setting and moved to an underground corner, where a multinational retail clothing outlet also replaced part of the bookstore space. These cases show physical downsizing at specific outlets rather than an across-the-board, measured determination.
Branch expansion and mall growth may shift brands away from large single stores
The expansion of major cities is described as translating into more malls and more business opportunities for major bookstore brands. Popular and MPH are cited as having wide national coverage, with 89 and 32 outlets respectively, and Popular opening two new outlets in the past month. The discussion links this to a possible trade-off where brands may prioritise branch quantity over keeping individual megabookstores large.
Competition from bulk sellers and publishers adds more reading options
Bulk bookstores such as BookXcess, including its Big Bad Wolf Sales, are mentioned as offering cheap books and intensifying competition. Alternative publishing houses such as DuBook Press and Legen Press are also cited as adding more reading material to the market, including more “indie” options. In this framing, the market has more channels for books, which can reduce the need for one large physical bookstore to carry everything.
Online purchasing and changed reading habits reduce the role of physical megastores
Online book purchasing is described as making physical bookstores less relevant, with MPH calling itself Malaysia’s No. 1 online bookstore and other major brands offering online purchasing options. A study of reading habits among local public university students found reading ranked 7th among pastimes, while books ranked 5th among reading materials behind newspapers, magazines, comics, and online material. The same study suggested students read more than a decade ago but through more varied sources, including online portals, e-books, and social platforms like Facebook (not as a “book”).

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Is the megabookstore business model in Malaysia unsustainable?

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