Hong Kong will be the first overseas location of Taiwanese bookseller Eslite bookstore.

The new store is scheduled to open in the second half of this year.

Eslite, which operates 24 hours at its Dunhua outlet in Taiwan, will open a 36,000sqft bookstore at Hysan Place, No. 500 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay, the former site of Hennessy Centre in Hong Kong. Establishing a footprint in Hong Kong follows increasingly close business ties between Taiwan, China and Hong Kong. 

In its home country, Eslite has expanded its operation into retail through an Eslite Mall. It plans to add four stores to its current 39 outlets in Taiwan. The stores will be opened in Danshui, Banqiao and Hsinchu this year and in Taipei in 2013.

Overseas, it plans to extend to Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, in China in 2014 following Hong Kong. The Suzhou flagship will also include a hotel, cinema and shopping mall.

Eslite was founded in 1989 with first store at Dunhua South Rd, Daan District, Taipei. The bookstore gives more emphasis on art and humanities-related books.

GB