Integration of Cultural Retailing With New Technologies and Media

Abstract

Due to rising operational expenses, competition from online booksellers, and the popularity of digital reading, many traditional bookstores in China have closed, while others are desperately upgrading and transforming with contemporary technologies and media. This study uses the Suzhou Antique Bookstore as a traditional bookstore case to illustrate the integration of retailing with new technologies and media in culture-related industries. The authors propose a new framework to combine marketing tactics using holographic projection technology, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), the internet of things, cloud computing, official website designs, and mobile applications. They use the 7P marketing mix strategy and AIDA marketing communication models to assess the case and framework. The framework may significantly boost a bookstore's reputation and brand awareness, maximize long-term commercial value, and enhance customer service offline. Scant studies investigated the application of contemporary technologies in culture-related retailing, especially in Asia.