battered by global pandemic, a lockdownAfter two cyclones and the status quo in academics, which led to suspension of in-person classes and curtailment of curriculum, business at the world’s biggest hub of new and old books had hit an all-time low. But, over the past few weeks, Boipara – hundreds of stalls of new and used books, rare academic journals, fiction, maps and everything in between – has managed to turn the page.
Business is still not as fast as it was before the pandemic, but the situation has improved to a great extent. “Schools have started new academic sessions, and two boards have split the academic year. Many parents are coming to school and buy reference books, as the exam will be based on multiple choice questions.
business improvement
The colleges have started new semesters and the dates for some competitive exams like state eligibility test have also been announced. All this has improved the business by about 60% to 70%, said Pratap Das, Secretary, Sir Ashutosh Booksellers Association.
College Street ‘Sale’ gets overwhelming response
Last month, several large bookstores on College Street offered book sales, and the response stunned everyone. Day’s Publishing sold thousands of books over a period of five days in mid-August. “It was also a kind of social experiment. We wanted to see if people still buy books.
To our surprise, there will be over 250 to 300 people waiting outside before we can even open the place. due to this covid Security guidelines, we were allowing only 20 people at a time and even those waiting outside did not stop. We managed to sell thousands of books, but the assurance of people continuing to buy physical books in return was huge,” said Shubhankar Dey of Dey Publications.
pandemic-induced lockdown and Cyclone Amphan Last year dealt a brutal blow to Boipara, in which books worth crores were destroyed and several stalls were damaged. The Presidency Alumni Association helped roadside book merchants with financial resources and books after the cyclone last year.
“In 2020, the market was closed for more than four months, but even after the business resumes, there will hardly be any customers. Most of our books were ruined. But help came from all quarters, including those living abroad. Business has improved, sales range from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 on Achhe Din,” says Biswajit Malakar, owner of Bengal Book Stall.
Purnendu Ghosh, owner of another book-stall, says, “Second-hand books are selling very well. “Customers are bargaining hard, but we’re grateful that at least they’re back to rekindle our hopes.”
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