This report covers branding as personification, differentiation and identification of Crossword as a book store. The report also talks of comparative study with the competition.
Submitted by: Aashish Dua 076B Akshata Bhat 006A Apoorva Sharma 011A Ishan Kaul 022A Pulak Narain 042A Shaunak Mukherjee 129B
Retail Management 1. Background of the retail stores
a. CROSSWORD
Crossword, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shoppers Stop Limited, is the largest bookstore chain in India. Presently, Crossword has 52 stores across Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Ghaziabad, Pune, Vadodara, Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Vishakapatnam and Hyderabad.
Crossword came into existence on 15th October 1992. Crossword, positioned as a lifestyle bookstore, has been able to change this by designing large, spacious, well laid out stores, with bright cheerful interiors that encourage people to stay and browse. Simple innovations such as methodical classifications, clear signage, a dedicated enquiry /orders desk, electronic POS and inventory control systems and attractive displays make looking for books a much more pleasurable experience. Crossword ensures that customers are able to browse in comfort for long hours without having to leave.
Crossword also addresses a wider audience than existing stores with its unique product mix. There is of course, the widest range of books for the young and old alike, along with magazines, CD-ROMs, music, stationery and toys. With its large children's section and its focus on making the store a friendly, safe, fun-filled place, Crossword attracts many families who normally don't think of visiting bookstores. Services like Dial-a-book, Fax-a-book and Email-a-book enable customers to shop from their homes; and when they