Crossword to enter smaller cities

Facing stiff competition from e-commerce players, Crossword Bookstores is planning to set up stores in smaller cities such as Bhubaneswar and Patna to boost sales. While not resorting to heavy discounting like its online rivals, the bookstore chain will work on enhancing reading experience for its customers.

The company is planning to open 10 stores this year through franchise model. “We are entering a lot of tier II cities...We will be opening stores in cities like Bhubaneswar and Patna. We want to reach customers who haven’t yet seen organised bookstores and give them a world class experience,” Crossword CEO Kinjal Shah said. Crossword Bookstores, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shoppers Stop, at present, has 96 stores across the country.

“We have been opening bigger and better stores and we have been changing the reading experience for customers at our stores...We cannot give discounts like online sites. As we have huge rentals and operational costs to deal with. What we have been doing is providing the best possible reading experience to readers,” Shah added.