Regarding The Gunung Agung Bookstore Will Be Closed, Here's Apindo's Response

Ketum Apindo Hariyadi Sukamdani (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - PT Gunung Agung. The dozens of companies that oversee the Gunung Agung Bookstore announced that they will permanently close all of its shops or outlets by the end of 2023.

Based on an official statement received by VOI, the management of the Gunung Agung Bookstore said that the closure of all outlets was carried out because the company could not survive operating losses due to the increasing problem of operating costs.

Responding to this, Chairman of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) Hariyadi Sukamdani said the closure of the bookstore was commonplace.

This is because the trend of selling bookstores that continues to decline does not only occur in Indonesia, but almost all over the world.

"When we talk about bookstores, right, the world phenomenon, yes, not just Indonesia, since 10 years ago the trend has continued to fall," Haryadi told reporters when met in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta, Tuesday, May 23.

Hariyadi revealed one of the bookstores in the United States which has also been permanently closed for a long time. "The Nobel book store in the US is also closed, all trends in the sale of bookstores are no longer trending," he said.

According to Hariyadi, the public has now switched to online or online book purchases. This is because online purchases are considered easier.

"Because everyone is at their peak online, so that's indeed one thing that can't be avoided, everyone has switched to online," he concluded.