``The store has been running at a deficit for a long time,'' Shanghai Century Scholar Books general manager He Genxiang told the Shanghai Daily.

The shop is expected to close soon although it could move to another location, the newspaper said Thursday.

Some customers came at night on weekends, but most preferred their beds during the week, He said.

A combination of poor location, high rent for its 53,800 square foot premises and the additional cost of never closing were blamed for losses.

``The location [Pudong]is not good. People who enjoy a good nightlife stay in Puxi. So it's pointless and impractical to run an around-the-clock bookstore in Pudong,'' one customer said.