Building a culture of reading

With a wide-ranging catalogue and a customer-first approach, Bargain Book Hut has evolved beyond a physical bookstore into a vibrant space that promotes reading through community events, school partnerships, and curated book fairs, while staying rooted in the joy of book browsing. Here, Rahul Bammi, Head of Operations, Bargain Book Hut stores, shares more.

The inception…

Bargain Book Hut, the retail store was founded in the year 2012.“The USP of our retail store is that every book is at a discount. Some of the books that we offer to customers are at insanely low prices as we offer books at up to 80% discount. We wanted the customers to think of Bargain Book Hut book shop, when they thought of quality books at affordable prices. We wanted to make the books available at bargain price that our patrons would save more when they buy more.Our broad range of titles caters to all tastes covering popular topics such as – Art, Design, Health, Cookery, Philosophy, Management, as well as niche subjects such as Gardening, Fashion, Astronomy and photography, to name a few. We also offer most of the latest bestsellers at a discount,” shares Rahul.

Innovative strategies to attract more customers…

“We keep introducing new books at special prices every week and our customers visit us regularly because they know we have limited stocks of certain books.Birthday Return and corporate gifts purchases in bulk is also something we cater to of the heavy discounts we offer. We also run offers like Buy 2 and Get 1 Free on certain series, Flat 50% discount or more on selected range etc,” he adds.

“Our customers value the experience of browsing through real books, discovering hidden gems, and getting personalized recommendations from our staff. We stay competitive by offering deeply discounted prices, limited-stock specials, and engaging in-store and online promotions. We have a Special Membership loyalty program in which our valued customers get an additional discount on their books purchase every time they buy from our book hut,” he adds.

Publisher-bookseller relationship…

“Publishers can support booksellers better by offering more flexible pricing and return policies for offline retailers. Collaborative promotions, early access to new releases, and joint events can also drive footfall and boost sales. At the core, stronger partnerships between publishers and retailers can benefit the entire books community ecosystem,” shares Rahul.

Attracting readers…

“We have conducted several Book Fairs in various malls where we have Bargain Book Hut Outlets. We invite prominent authors to be a part of our Book Fairs which is an add on attraction where customers get a chance to meet and greet their favourite authors and interact with them. We invite various publishers to participate as our partners and be a part of our Book Fair. We also tie-up with Schools and Corporates for book events held in their premises especially on World Book Day, National Reader’s Days and Children’s Day. We have book based quizzes and fun activities in these events which attracts and promotes reading,” shares Rahul.

Keeping readers engaged…

“While we operate primarily as a physical bookstore, we leverage our brand through digital platforms to keep our audience engaged by having informative and interactive content on social media. This balance allows us to create immersive, real-world experiences while staying relevant in the digital age,” tells Rahul.

Trends in reading habits…

“There’s a clear shift towards impulse buying when customers see value in limited-period offers. Readers today are more open to exploring diverse genres, especially self-help and young adult fiction. Surprisingly, there’s a growing trend of books being adapted to TV series which revives the interest in the book,” shares Rahul.

On biggest misconception people have about running a bookstore…

“One common misconception is that running a bookstore is simply about selling books off the shelf. In reality, it requires careful curation, inventory planning, and deep customer understanding. It’s not just about retail—it’s about building a reading culture and engagement with the book loving community,” he adds.

On a concluding note…

“We’d love to see more people treating book-buying as a regular habit rather than a one-off indulgence. Encouraging consistent reading—across all age groups—can create a stronger book culture. If more readers viewed books as essential investments in personal growth, the entire ecosystem would benefit,” concludes Rahul.