Place: DELHI
Shop:
OXFORD BOOKSTORE
Pristine white with artistic touches of colour. Heritage architecture, modern arches. A large, expansive, beautifully lit space with dining on the side – none of these are how most Indians would describe a bookstore. However entering the newest outlet of the Oxford Bookstore is a wow moment. In an era when bookstores could become history, it is a space where one wishes time would stop. While all around you are books of every shape, subject, size and shade, the store is also as much about aesthetics and the fusion of the need to cater to the mind and the senses.
A pan India chain, that began in 1919, Oxford Bookstore had already introduced merchandise, events and dining spaces to their beautiful stores. The recent relaunch of the store in Delhi, in the heritage zone of Connaught Place, just across the road from where its earlier store was, had everyone in attendance just taken aback at the beauty of the store.
“Through a painstaking restoration of the majestic architecture and a careful curation of the heritage spaces, we have carved out an incredible space for quiet browsing, reading and contemplation,” says Priti Paul, Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group. Just about every writer, retailer, agent, publisher and distributor came to grace the occasion. “It is a beautiful store," says Bikash Niyogi, MD, Niyogi Books, who predicts that it would be one of Delhi’s favourite hangout places.
This store has been long in the making. “We looked at a number of locations,” she says before deciding on this one, a run-down place with false ceilings. She was clear that she wanted the store in the historic centre of town, and Connaught Place. “The restoration of the store tied in well with the restoration of Connaught Place. I felt I had to do something for the restoration of the historic area. Lots of people thought I was crazy to choose CP over the newer areas, but I was sure of my decision.” While she will not reveal how much it cost to redo, indeed restore, the 5,000 square feet store, Paul, an architect herself admits to be nervous before the opening about the acceptability of the design. “We discussed various looks, including a kitschy Indian one, and I had been thinking for long about the future of the bookstore. Delhi is about Punjabi Baroque, I was fairly extreme in my choice of white with the store,” she says.
Oxford Bookstore is part of the Apeejay Surrendra Group, which has interests in shipping, tea, real estate, logistics and hospitality. The chain now has 16 outlets in nine cities in India. Besides the downtown stores, other formats include Oxford Junior and Oxford Express, both launched in 2006. “We have a lot of formats. Bangalore already has four formats, including one in the WIPRO campus. The chain is expanding on its own and by franchisee outlets.
Paul however is reluctant to talk about the chain’s future business plans. “I see a present need for bookstores,” she points out. She agrees that retail is difficult at the moment, and most of the positioning in the sector is for the future. “The dynamics of the market are changing, and while we do not what the future holds, but in India, people will still need to buy books. Competition has increased in the form of new chain stores have now come up, such as Landmark, Om Books, Crossword, Timeout, but few have ventured to being a cultural hub that the Oxford Bookstores have positioned themselves into.
The chain, a completely integrated online offline bookstore in the country with access to six million titles worldwide, is among India’s leading stores, and has led in innovations over time. It was the first book retailing enterprise in the country to launch an interactive SMS Service in association with Mobile 365 while Oxford Über is India’s only exclusive store for lifestyle books. Paul is not a fan of soul less chain stores. “The new bookstores should be “breakaway spaces, interactive and entertainment spaces that will promote literature with related cultural and reading events – a combination of books, art, fashion, culture and food,” she says about her store.
Innovative steps also include the chain tying up with the World Wide Fund for Nature, to fund the One-Horned Rhino Conservation Project. “We will reach out to individuals of the younger generation through books and programmes to make for a better natural environment,” says Ravi Singh, secretary general, WWF-India.
Paul has put a special focus on translations. Not only is there a separate section for it, it is next to Indian fiction in English, a prime position for the store. Paul feels that while Indian writers writing in English are getting their due, those writing in other Indian languages are still languishing behind. With a list of 1,000 translations, 500 in store, and with translations sourced from the global market, Paul is going all out to get the Indian reader look at translations. She has signed a distribution deal with indie publisher Katha, known for its work in translations.
The store is getting rave reviews. No wonder Paul is beaming. She had planned a three-day stopover in Delhi after the opening of the store, and ended by staying for three weeks. “I am overwhelmed by the response to the store. People have been calling up constantly to sign up contracts, discuss deals, plan events… I had to run away home,” she says. Home is Morocco, where she has returned after two months in India. Incidentally, OBS also has an outlet in Morocco, Kathakali, which caters to African, French, English literatures, besides introducing Indian writers to the region, and which she opened last year. But it is her newest Delhi store that has excited the most. “I was offered so much, I could have tied up my calendar till next year,” she says. Enviable start for a book store! And there’s more to come, watch this space.
DECONSTRUCTION, BOOKSTORE STYLE
Cha Bar, the dining area, arguably offers the world’s largest assortment of teas and cultural tea preparations, and continues the heritage theme of the rest of the store, and also in white.
Neon Wall, a cloud of words in English-Hindi-Latin that envelopes book lovers in a universe of emotions linking them to reading
Reading Room, a place where guests can read at leisure, especially young ones. Also a space where events can be held.
While all the regular sections – fiction, travel, management and all the rest are there, an interesting section is translations, a section not usually found in stores any more, is a highlight as the chain seeks to promote books in various Indian languages and their translations. The store unveiled the section on ‘Translations and the many Literatures of India’ with a one day symposium on ‘The Many Voices of Indian Literature’.
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| Innovatively designed bookshelves add to Oxford Bookstore's considerable attraction |
OXFORD BOOKSTORE
Pristine white with artistic touches of colour. Heritage architecture, modern arches. A large, expansive, beautifully lit space with dining on the side – none of these are how most Indians would describe a bookstore. However entering the newest outlet of the Oxford Bookstore is a wow moment. In an era when bookstores could become history, it is a space where one wishes time would stop. While all around you are books of every shape, subject, size and shade, the store is also as much about aesthetics and the fusion of the need to cater to the mind and the senses.
A pan India chain, that began in 1919, Oxford Bookstore had already introduced merchandise, events and dining spaces to their beautiful stores. The recent relaunch of the store in Delhi, in the heritage zone of Connaught Place, just across the road from where its earlier store was, had everyone in attendance just taken aback at the beauty of the store.
“Through a painstaking restoration of the majestic architecture and a careful curation of the heritage spaces, we have carved out an incredible space for quiet browsing, reading and contemplation,” says Priti Paul, Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group. Just about every writer, retailer, agent, publisher and distributor came to grace the occasion. “It is a beautiful store," says Bikash Niyogi, MD, Niyogi Books, who predicts that it would be one of Delhi’s favourite hangout places.
 |
| Prettiness is the dominant theme at the store |
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| The neon wall in itself makes any visit special |
Paul however is reluctant to talk about the chain’s future business plans. “I see a present need for bookstores,” she points out. She agrees that retail is difficult at the moment, and most of the positioning in the sector is for the future. “The dynamics of the market are changing, and while we do not what the future holds, but in India, people will still need to buy books. Competition has increased in the form of new chain stores have now come up, such as Landmark, Om Books, Crossword, Timeout, but few have ventured to being a cultural hub that the Oxford Bookstores have positioned themselves into.
 |
| A lovely space for events is sure to add to the charm of the store |
Innovative steps also include the chain tying up with the World Wide Fund for Nature, to fund the One-Horned Rhino Conservation Project. “We will reach out to individuals of the younger generation through books and programmes to make for a better natural environment,” says Ravi Singh, secretary general, WWF-India.
 |
| Priti Paul resplendent in a Sabyasachi saree at the relaunch of Oxford Bookstore in Delhi |
The store is getting rave reviews. No wonder Paul is beaming. She had planned a three-day stopover in Delhi after the opening of the store, and ended by staying for three weeks. “I am overwhelmed by the response to the store. People have been calling up constantly to sign up contracts, discuss deals, plan events… I had to run away home,” she says. Home is Morocco, where she has returned after two months in India. Incidentally, OBS also has an outlet in Morocco, Kathakali, which caters to African, French, English literatures, besides introducing Indian writers to the region, and which she opened last year. But it is her newest Delhi store that has excited the most. “I was offered so much, I could have tied up my calendar till next year,” she says. Enviable start for a book store! And there’s more to come, watch this space.
DECONSTRUCTION, BOOKSTORE STYLE
 |
| The spectacular Cha Bar is sure to be a meeting point for fans once again |
Neon Wall, a cloud of words in English-Hindi-Latin that envelopes book lovers in a universe of emotions linking them to reading
Reading Room, a place where guests can read at leisure, especially young ones. Also a space where events can be held.
While all the regular sections – fiction, travel, management and all the rest are there, an interesting section is translations, a section not usually found in stores any more, is a highlight as the chain seeks to promote books in various Indian languages and their translations. The store unveiled the section on ‘Translations and the many Literatures of India’ with a one day symposium on ‘The Many Voices of Indian Literature’.
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