When the circuit breaker measures came into place on Apr. 7, bookstore chain Popular was one of the many businesses made to close over the circuit breaker period.

The bookstore saw lengthy queues before the lockdown as parents scrambled to purchase assessment books, devices and toys to keep their children productive and occupied.

Official flagship store on Lazada

Popular has since launched its official online flagship store on e-commerce platform Lazada on May 14, 2020.

In a media release on May 15, the bookstore chain said that they had "received a large volume of feedback and request to keep our retail stores open".

Popular said that while the retail stores would remain closed, the official online store on Lazada serves as a way for the bookstore to continue providing their products and services while ensuring the safety of their staff and customers.

The online store has cooking books, assessment books, stationery, toys and even sanitisers, but the range of items available on the platform is not as extensive as the offerings in their retail stores as of yet.

According to Popular, the products offered online were selected with the needs of the family in mind as customers work from home and students prepare for a new school term.

Top image via Popular's Lazada online store.