Sitting in Hyderabad Airport doing something I always love to do. I am just outside the Airport Bookshop ordering books online. What astounds me is that the very same books that I could have bought at the shop for huge cover prices are available online at 40% below the cover price. It takes about a week for the online bookshop to supply my order. So what? I have saved so much money. I already have books to read on flight. These are books I would love to read; but not so desperately and immediately.
Browsing in bookshops is definitely cool! But buying there is definitely uncool!
Actually the online browsing experience is awesome as every title is at your fingertip and a search away! At Landmark you have to request the sullen and surly TATA employee for the title you want and wait pathetically while he asks around apathetically and returns with the usual, "sorry sir or madam (as the case maybe! Because he's too busy to notice anyway!) It is not available.
Online book shopping allows you to search different editions and compare prices If you don't want to buy you can put it on your wishlist and later buy it.
Finally, the payment can be made on delivery! (At least on Flipkart and Homeshop18 it is possible.)
Odyssey has suspended its 360 website! In fact I was an Odyssey customer online till my 14 year old son put me on to flipkart. Then I discovered Home Shop 18 and put him on to it!
Landmark is the same snooty entity online too and the prices are not at all competitive. No wonder they are forced to sell books at discount by putting them in 3 for 2 and 2 for 1 bundles. Why don't they simply accept that the book selling business is going online and work on a friendly on line presence.
Finally as of now and for the record Homeshop 18 is the cheapest in India! Check it out! May be they are cutting their own throat!
But why should we care! Happy online book shoppuing!
Browsing in bookshops is definitely cool! But buying there is definitely uncool!
Actually the online browsing experience is awesome as every title is at your fingertip and a search away! At Landmark you have to request the sullen and surly TATA employee for the title you want and wait pathetically while he asks around apathetically and returns with the usual, "sorry sir or madam (as the case maybe! Because he's too busy to notice anyway!) It is not available.
Online book shopping allows you to search different editions and compare prices If you don't want to buy you can put it on your wishlist and later buy it.
Finally, the payment can be made on delivery! (At least on Flipkart and Homeshop18 it is possible.)
Odyssey has suspended its 360 website! In fact I was an Odyssey customer online till my 14 year old son put me on to flipkart. Then I discovered Home Shop 18 and put him on to it!
Landmark is the same snooty entity online too and the prices are not at all competitive. No wonder they are forced to sell books at discount by putting them in 3 for 2 and 2 for 1 bundles. Why don't they simply accept that the book selling business is going online and work on a friendly on line presence.
Finally as of now and for the record Homeshop 18 is the cheapest in India! Check it out! May be they are cutting their own throat!
But why should we care! Happy online book shoppuing!
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