Although reading is a habit that's still strong among Indians, the ominous spread of the electronic media and new entertainment avenues have signalled the need for change. Take the leading bookstores in Mumbai, for instance. Crossword in south Mumbai, that broke convention by making ambience a selling point, has already added a caf to a corner of its 7,000-plus sq ft shop. Being in an upmarket area, this not only helps pull in customers, it also ensures they keep coming back. Of course, there's the additional attraction of a wide collection of books to choose from, which has customers of all ages floating around, browsing or chatting.
Soft music plays in the background to add the finishing touch.
We promote book buying or browsing as a leisure pastime. We want that people should come and browse through as many books as they want. Anyone is welcome to spend as much time as they want. There is no sales person constantly hovering around irritating them. We also offer a complete reference section with chairs and tables to make our readers feel comfortable.