Indie businesses
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Bookshop Bahrisons did not let pandemic affect its business
Bahrisons opened a new store during the pandemic, while other booksellers shut down. For the first three months of lockdown all stores of Bahrisons were closed. They kept paying the salaries of their staff.
Bahrisons opened in Khan Market in 1953. Its founder Balraj Bahri Malhotra had migrated to India during the 1947 partition. Today it operates four stores; Vasant Kunj (latest), Khan Market and Saket in Delhi and Galleria in Gurgaon. After opening the shops in May, it also started offering deliveries. At the same time Amazon and Flipkart could not operate. Customers rediscovered physical books. They devised a ordering system, digital payments and deliveries. The orders poured in.
The current owners Rajni Bahri Malhotra and Anuj Bahri Malhotra wrote, “Bookshops and libraries are the heart of a civilisation, a city, a community. The emotional connection with an old bookshop is deep, and eventually it was this connect that brought our customers back.”
Independent book stores such as Midland can fight back. Bahrisons is delivering across India. Like Bahrisons, Indie bookstores can use technology and online platforms to reach out to their new audience. They can spread awareness using Facebook and Google & launch books on platforms such as Instagram live. Book lovers also love virtual book tours.
Worth your time: Publishing and pandemic Link
