Osia Bookshop (海洋書局) has been part of Auckland's Chinese community since 1990, growing over more than two decades of successful operation into the city's largest centre for Chinese-language books, audio-visual media and boutique gifts. What began as a local bookstore now also reaches readers nationwide as one of New Zealand's largest Chinese online shopping malls, with every order dispatched from the Osia Distribution Center.
The heart of Osia is a carefully curated catalogue. Every product listed has been screened by the site's editors and chosen from thousands of options because it has something of its own to offer. Through close cooperation with publishers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and mainland China, Osia keeps its range complete and current while keeping prices competitive for local readers.
Beyond books, there is a weekly rhythm to the shop: popular magazines, CDs, DVDs and fine gift products are flown in from Hong Kong every week, arriving each Friday. Osia is also the largest supplier of Chinese-language books to local schools, libraries and other institutions.
Shopping is designed to be safe as well as friendly and fast: a secure online platform, multiple convenient payment methods, real-time order tracking and delivery through New Zealand's largest local logistics company. Every product is original and authentic, imported through formal channels and legally taxed, with a complete warranty, return and after-sales service system behind it.
Osia Bookshop (海洋書局) opened in Auckland in 1990, and in the decades since it has grown into the city's largest centre for Chinese-language books, audio-visual media and boutique gifts. What started as a local bookstore is now also one of New Zealand's largest Chinese online shopping malls, with every order fulfilled from the Osia Distribution Center and delivered through the country's biggest local logistics company.
The store's aim is stated plainly: to serve customers in a fashionable, friendly and fast manner, and to give local Chinese readers access to the most complete, latest and best Chinese books available in New Zealand. More than thirty years on, that combination of curation and service is what keeps readers coming back.
Osia positions itself firmly against the endless, undifferentiated scroll of online retail. Every product listed in its mall has been screened by the site's editors before it goes live, chosen from thousands of candidates because it has something of its own to offer. That principle, the company says, has held from beginning to end.
The range is broad. Books sit at the heart of it — Chinese-language titles kept current through close cooperation with publishers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and mainland China, which is also how the business keeps its prices competitive. Around the books sit popular magazines, popular CDs and DVDs, and a rotating selection of fine gift products from Hong Kong, all part of the same weekly cycle of arrivals.
There is a rhythm to shopping at Osia that regulars come to know: the weekly air shipment. Magazines, CDs, DVDs and boutique items are sent from Hong Kong every week and arrive, without fail, each Friday. For anyone who follows Chinese-language periodicals or wants the newest release rather than last month's, Friday is the day to check in.
Osia's reach extends well past individual shoppers. It is the largest supplier of Chinese books to local schools, libraries and other institutions — a quieter but significant role in keeping Chinese-language reading material flowing through the community.
The company also puts its commitments in writing. All products are original and authentic, introduced through formal channels and legally taxed, and are backed by a complete warranty, return and after-sales service system. Product pages are supported with high-definition photos of actual samples, detailed specifications and manufacturer introductions, so buyers know exactly what they are getting before they order.
Because so much of Osia's business now happens online, the company has invested in what sits behind it. The platform is built on the latest network security technology to protect each customer's personal information, orders are tracked in real time, and delivery is handled with New Zealand's largest local logistics company so packages arrive safely and quickly. Multiple convenient payment methods are supported, and the business operates in strict accordance with New Zealand regulations and policies.
Questions and suggestions are welcomed, with a promise of a satisfactory reply as soon as possible. Customers can reach the team through the contact form at osia.co.nz, by phone on +64 9 9147935, or by email at [email protected], and can follow the Osia Bookstore Facebook page for updates. Whether you are after the latest novel from a favourite author, this week's magazines, a much-loved CD or DVD, or a gift with a bit of character, Osia's long-running blend of curation, authenticity and friendly service is what has kept it at the centre of Auckland's Chinese book world for more than three decades.