KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 ― A Polish study last year ranked Malaysians among the world’s highest spenders on books.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the movement control order (MCO) however has severely impacted the book demand among Malaysians this year.
A recent study by online shopping aggregator iPrice Group has revealed that Malaysia recorded a decrease of 42 per cent in interest for books during the MCO period.
According to the data, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia have experienced an increase in interest for books in the same period.
Most significantly, Vietnam recorded a 3,061 per cent increase, followed by Singapore (1,669 per cent) and Indonesia (212 per cent).
Despite the massive decline in demand in Malaysia, the study stated that categories like ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) music books, literature books (particularly Harry Potter) and medical books were the most searched ones here.
It also found that the demand for ABRSM music books were because Malaysian students were preparing themselves for the scheduled practical exams in March, April and June as well as the upcoming ones in August.
The study also revealed that the Vietnamese were highly searching for colouring books, similar to Hong Kong citizens and Singaporeans.
Apart from children colouring books, the data showed that adults colouring books such as Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest were the most popular ones.
Other than colouring books, Hong Kong citizens were also actively searching for photography and sports-related books.
In Singapore, Vietnam, and Philippine, children’s books seemed to be among the most searched book categories during the lockdown.
As most nurseries and pre-schools were suspended during the lockdown, the study said the demand for fairy tales and children’s literature had increased.
It was also found that school textbooks were most sought-after in Indonesia during the lockdown.
Moreover, the data revealed that popular South Korean boyband BTS’s unofficial book in Indonesia received huge popularity and ranked second in the chart over the past few months.
The Quran also became one of the most searched books in Indonesia during the pandemic which coincided with the month of Ramadan.
