It's not only restaurants and bars that have been taking advantage of Shanghai's new nighttime economy to boost revenues and recover from COVID-19. Exploring more diversified ways to profit, the bookstores are joining in by offering late-night reading desks for study and some printed entertainment as well.

For some book lovers, even 10 p.m. is just the beginning of the night. Dozens of readers have found their place – in a bookstore in a vintage building at Sinan Mansions in Shanghai. Lu Nianqi was one of them. In her 20s, she said she has been waiting for a late-night bookstore for a long time.

"I like bookstores. The last time I spent the whole night in one was the 2018 new year's countdown at my favorite 24-hour bookstore in Guangzhou. This is only the second time I've had a chance to stay up late in a bookstore," said Lu.

And it turns out that not only adults enjoy the late-night reads in bookstores. Some children like it too.

"My little girl really likes me to read her picture books. She concentrates on them so much that she usually forgets what time it is," a reader told CGTN.

The bookstore is now open until midnight every Friday and Saturday. Customers who want to be sure they can find their place, need to make a reservation online and pay 50 yuan in advance. For that they get a drink and a dessert plate to help keep them going.

"We charge customers the 50 yuan because we want to be sure they come after making the booking. We usually charge 80 yuan for a cup of coffee and a snack, but in the evening people usually come after dinner, so we offer a smaller set for 50 yuan," said Feng Jie, the deputy general manager of Duoyun Bookstore.

Eight bookstores in Shanghai have extended their opening times until late night during weekends. And while Sinan Books charges customers 50 yuan for the late-night reading package, others are offering free space, but promoting special discounts for products like stationary and holding special events to attract more customers.

Selling copies of famous cultural artifacts is one way a bookstore in Yangpu district is making money. Most items sell at a one-third discount in the evening, though that doesn't include a copy of the British Museum's 2,500-year-old Egyptian cat. Now that it's open till midnight, the bookstore is getting as many as 4,000 customers a day during weekends – an increase of 25 percent. But it turns out the evening readers aren't big spenders.

"Many night-time readers come for study or work, so product sales aren't that high compared to the daytime. Most of their spending goes on beverages, some on books. During the day, each customer usually spends around 120 or 150 yuan. But at night it's 40 or 50 yuan per order," said He Xuan, the general manager of Dayin.

He says that although evening revenues don't cover costs, the bookstore's other expanded activities make up for that.

"We're holding cultural events, and those generate some revenue. And we're also putting together some cultural spaces, that help make up for our costs in the retail sector. For example, we distribute books by famous authors to community centers, and organize events there with book publishers' sponsorship to earn some money," he further elaborated.

He plans to continue with the extra services and expand the mall's social events to help the bookstore turn the page on the coronavirus outbreak.

(Video cover via VCG)