'Bookshops will always remain a paradise for avid readers'

New Delhi, Dec 1: The smell of books while entering a bookstore is probably the most hypnotising aroma for an avid reader. Though e-commerce platforms have been muscling in, shop owners maintain that book stores will always be the first preference for those bitten by the reading bug. “Who says people don’t like coming to book stores? Good books will always bring readers back to shops. For them a shop is not just a place to buy books but also a platform where like-minded meet and talk about common interests. Why else would chains like Crosswords and Om Book Stores be opening more and more outlets?” Anuj Bahri Malhotra, the second-generation owner of the iconic Bahrisons, asked while speaking to IANS. Bahrisons, located in upscale Khan Market, was established in 1953 by Anuj’s father, Balraj Bahri Malhotra.
“Book lovers will always opt for buying from book stores because, for them, getting physically connected with a book is important. They can never trust books purchased online and therefore, for us, those book lovers are treasured ones,” Sanjeev Arora of Famous Book Store said.
Located in the Janpath market near Conught Place, the book store was established in 1943 in Lahore and, after partition, it shifted to Delhi in 1948. Mirza Asad, who looks after the Midland bookstore located in South Extension-1, also shared similar thoughts on the survival of bookstores in the e-commerce era. “Old customers always keep coming to bookstores. We have even seen three generations who have been our regular customers. There are many old books, translated works which you won’t find on e-commerce platforms but will surely get in a book-store and this is a big advantage,” Asad added. (IANS)