Mainly driven by globalization and digitalization, book publishing is undergoing a profound digital transformation today. The popularity of e-books, digital reading and online bookstores tremendously change our reading and consumption habits, exerting great impacts on brick and mortar bookstores, especially the small independent bookstores. Today many independent bookstores attach great importance to connecting with people, community and other partners in the same or different industries. “No independent bookstores should be independent”, and the spirit of partnership is needed to be re-examined. This research takes one representative independent bookstore in Taiwan, the Small Small Bookshop, as a case, aiming to explore the customer relationship in the independent bookstore network. Using participatory observation and in-depth interviews, the bookstore business network and its relations with customers are discussed and examined, which presents an example for the operation of independent bookstores today. To sum up, firstly, the research shows that Small Small Bookshop is an ideal champion. The idea and vision of the founder largely determine the corresponding practice of the business of Small Small Bookshop, and in turn, the business, including products, services and activities, reflect and even gradually strengthen the idea over the longtime. Secondly, Small Small Bookstore is not a solely operated independent bookstore-only selling books.

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Zhang, Y., & Chung, H. (2016). Strategizing the customer relationship in the independent bookstore network: A case of small small bookshop in Taiwan. International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, 2(5), 143-150.