Source : The Hindu
The ‘Lock the Box’ initiative from BookChor gives reading, owning and sharing books a whole new meaning
BookChor — a startup that deals with used books — brings a surprise for book lovers in the city with an innovative programme called ‘Lock the Box’.
A kind of a warehouse sale of pre-owned books, the‘Lock the Box’ event will have cardboard boxes of three sizes. Buyers can scour from the collection and add their choice of books in the box. .
Each box is priced differently and is named after heroes from Greek mythology. The Odysseus Box is priced at ₹ 999, (it can hold eight-10 books), the Perseus Box costs ₹ 1,499 (15-18 books) and The Hercules Box is for ₹ 2,499 (28-30 books).
Broader choice
Unlike some establishments and firms that sell books by weight, here the buyers are allowed to fit in as many titles as they can into the box of their choice. The only rule is that the boxes should close flat at the check-out counter. “The idea behind the concept is to make books more affordable and give broader choice to the readers,” says Vidyut Sharma, co-founder of the Gurgaon-based startup. BookChor was founded by a team of youngsters — Bhavesh Sharma, Prateek Maheshwari, Alok Raj Sharma and Vidyut Sharma — in October 2016 with an initial investment of Rs 35 lakh.
The startup has a stock of three to four lakh units in its inventory and is looking for a second warehouse in addition to the one they have in Sonepat, Haryana.
So far, it has only in English-language titles, but it is planning to branch out into regional languages as well.The startup had its first ‘Lock the Box’ event in April this year. Visakhapatnam is its 13th offline evenue. There will be nearly 90,000 books of various genres suitable for toddlers to adults.
The event was met with an encouraging response in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai and BookChor hopes to increase its book collection from 90,000 pre-owned books to 1.5 lakh titles. “Our biggest success was the Chennai event where we saw over 40,000 people turn up. It is really exciting to see the millennial turning up for offline book events in this digital era,” says Vidyut.
More attractions
At the event, also get a sneak peek into the upcoming novels by authors such as Meghna Gulzar, Nikhil Pradhan and Rakshanda Jalil.
The readers can book their copies in advance at the event at a discounted price.“This apart, you can also make space for your new books by selling your old ones to us,” says Vidyut.
The readers are encouraged to donate books that in turn will be given to NGOs for the benefit of underprivileged children.
The startup also has a Smart Libraries programmes where it is currently partnered with four schools in Dehradun and Gurgaon.
Venue TTD Kalyana Mandapam, MVP Colony
Date September 21 to 23
Time 10 am to 9 pm
