BookSpine Kilo Corner offers books by the kilo in their store in Quezon City, June 3, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

For someone who adores books more than anything else, it is impossible to leave a bookstore without buying at least one or two books. 

However, not everyone has the luxury to have all the books they desire. Hence, BookSpine kilo corner will be a good haven for all bookworms out there. 

Established in October 2020, BookSpine started as an ecommerce platform for secondhand books by 30-year-old Gia Santos and her business partner. 

Bookstores were among establishments hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus Gia and her co-founder were inspired by the missing nostalgic and heavenly feeling of walking into a bookstore where a paradise of books and spines awaits you to browse them. 

But how would people get it in times of pandemic? They then brainstormed a way to replicate and bring that experience online.

BookSpine Kilo Corner offers books by the kilo in their store in Quezon City, June 3, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

“We wanted the spines yung naka-display, parang stacks,(We wanted to display spines. Like stacks.)  it's as if you would be browsing the bookstore talaga. That's why we called it Bookspine din,” she told ABS-CBN News.

What was then only an online marketplace for second hand books turned into a physical store—the soft opening of BookSpine Kilo Corner in January this year.

Book lovers can scan through more than 30,000 books in various genres and buy them per kilo for as low as P80 in their physical store in Quezon City. 

BookSpine Kilo Corner offers books by the kilo in their store in Quezon City, June 3, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

 “We also made it per kilo so that it's easy, it's affordable. But without devaluing the book. Kasi for us, each book counts,” Santos said.

With a lot of bookworms also wanting to experience this kilo corner but can’t personally go to their store, BookSpine decided to continue operating online.

BookSpine offers two options to its online shoppers.

First, the Random Books for a surprise collection, where buyers will receive a surprise box containing random, assorted books of their preferred category.

Second, the Personal Shopper Service, where buyers will let BookSpine know their book preferences, then one from the team will send photos of available books on their shelves and its condition so buyers can freely choose what to add to their carts. 

Growing up with books, Gia knows how it changed her life. But aside from being a bookworm herself, the low ranking of the Philippines in reading comprehension made her persist in this book business.

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"I feel like if people would read more books and discover the power of books, society would really improve. Siguro yun ‘yung reason why I decided to not just start, but continue,” she said.

Hence, with every purchase, part of the bookstore’s proceeds will go to their partner charity such as Read2Achieve Foundation, for children’s literacy. 

Through BookSpine, Gia aims to empower people to continue reading, at the same time, encourage them to let their old and used-but-not-abused books find its new owners to share wisdom with. 

That’s why the bookstore also accepts decluttered books as a way of promoting a sustainable circular economy.

BookSpine created a book trade program, exclusive for those who avail their membership, where a buyer can access their website, offer their old books to be swapped and will be converted into credit points they can use to avail promos such special rates and benefits.

With this program, books can pass on to different readers without losing their value, because Gia believes books are powerful enough to inspire one’s path. 

“All it takes is one book to change a life”, Gia said.