Poll: Readers prefer digital to print

But Yang Yujie, a 25-year-old employee at an advertising company in Shanghai, said she has read more since getting a smartphone

"My job is so demanding that it is hard for me to spend a big chunk of time reading books. But with a smartphone I can make use of all spare time, like waiting for the bus or after dinner, to read the abundant content on the Internet," she said.

Her experience was reflected in the poll results, in which 30 percent of the respondents cited more timely use and a wealth of information, and 20.55 percent cited greater convenience, as the major advantages of digital reading.

Facing the changing reading habit, some bookshops are struggling to attract readers by building their brands and focusing on niche readers.

Zhongshuge Bookshop, which opened last April, has been dubbed the most beautiful bookshop in Shanghai. The design and decoration cost up to 10 million yuan ($1.62 million) to create an artistic reading environment, according to Fang Jun, the store's general manager.

Fang said the bookshop, which had been projected to generate a profit in three years, is doing better than expected, with average monthly revenue of about 200,000 yuan.

There are about 40,000 books in the bookshop, and 25 percent are not available in online stores, a fact that Fang hopes will attract readers to the brick-and-mortar store.

The bookshop established reading clubs for readers under 20 and for senior readers. There are also regular parties for entrepreneurs to share and review books.

"All the events do not directly generate revenues, but they add value to our brand," Fang said.

He added that the store plans to build a digital reading area in the bookshop where readers can search and read trial chapters with digital devices. They can ask shopkeepers to find the book for them once they decide to buy it.

"The reading habits and spending habits of our customers have changed, and we need to adjust to the change," he said。

Special coverage: World Book Day 2014