Following a huge response to its Salt Lake outlet, one of the most aesthetic bookstores in Calcutta, Story, opened the doors of its new mini outlet on the ground floor in Nazrul Tirtha on September 22. Spread across 300sq ft, the quaint little store offers a variety of books, including children’s books, art materials, carry bags and casual bags, items of stationery, and toys, including Marvel figures, cars, Disney soft toys, dolls and board games under one roof.
The bookstore brand had marked an incredible success for around two decades at its Elgin Road address, first as Crossword and then as Story, since 2014 before the brand moved to Salt Lake this year. The bookstore has been a paradise for book lovers in the city not just for its wide collection of page-turners but also items of stationery and other knick-knacks.
The mini collection of stationery items and bags in the bookstore
Launched by Primarc group, Story stays true to its commitment to nurturing reading habits in generations to come with its extensive offerings that also aim to enrich the library already existing in Nazrul Tirtha. The new store aims to cater to all sections of people and has a dedicated section for accessories as well.
Speaking to t2 on the occasion, Shambhavi Pansari, business director, Story, said: “We have always believed that books and bookstores add a lot of value to our lives. Rajarhat being one of the fastest developing areas not just in West Bengal but in the country, when Debashis sir asked us about opening a bookstore here, we immediately agreed. We feel honoured to have opened a new store at this location and we expect the same love and support that we have received at our Salt Lake outlet. Hope people come here and enjoy reading. We have a good collection of children’s books, including classics and encyclopedias. Keeping in mind the location of the store, we have tried to keep something for everyone.” Highlighting some of the major differences from the Salt Lake store, Sidharth Pansari, director, Primarc Projects, said: “This is more like a pop-up store. Having said that, this is our first store in New Town. So we would like to wait and see how the response goes. We have got a lot of new releases and bestsellers over here. There is a library upstairs. We are involved there as well in setting up the library. The difference here is that we have a limited collection but even then, we have a decent collection of popular Bengali and English books along with some bestselling toys. Here the focus is on fiction and non-fiction bestsellers in Bengali. There is something for everybody, catering to all age groups. Currently, we have around 4,000 books in this store”.
Story’s Nazrul Tirtha outlet boasts of around 4,000 books
Debashis Sen, managing director, HIDCO, said: “Readers of New Town are already addicted to books and the proof is the smart library in Nazrul Tirtha. It is full from 11am to 9pm. Youngsters come here to study throughout the day. Now we have an additional opportunity to buy books and see the latest editions. It’s a great idea and I love it.”
Commenting on book reading as a habit in this era of technology and so many social media distractions, he added: “We have a lot of initiatives around books in New Town. For instance, we have a smart library which has expanded into another room. Recently, we have launched a book club. People come to the football grounds, play football, eat at coffee shops, and read books. People donate books and rent books as well for a nominal fee. We have a lot of book-reading and storytelling sessions taking place here. The environment around books is very much there. Not to mention, the New Town book fair draws a huge crowd.”