Landmark to expand

Early 90s when I was working in Chennai, I used to frequent the Landmark book store on Nungambakkam High Road on way to and back from my office which was located on Cathedral Road. Landmark was then in the basement and ground floor of a highrise and there was less trouble to park car thereabout.

But more than the ease of parking car, I liked Landmark because of the ambience, the layout in the shop and above all the chance to enjoy the look and feel of the books. There wasn’t anything like it in Kolkata and when I used to come here on holidays, I would rue the lack of similar shop and feel lost at not being able to utilize abundant spare time.

One would say Oxford on Park Street allows you a similar experience, but I disagree. First, it’s not a large-format store (meaning floor area is much less). Second, an uncanny feeling always remains that someone is ‘watching’ you. Not that ‘watching’ is bad, but in a small space, people brushing you now and then isn’t something that I like.

When Landmark debuted in Kolkata to open a book store on Lord Sinha Road (off Theater Road aka Shakespeare Sarani), I was very happy. Here was a good enough reason to while away time amid the smell and feel of books. And indeed Landmark in Kolkata has been and continues to be a lively place, no doubt there.

However, the store remained almost what it was when it first came. There was no talk of a second store elsewhere if only to branch out and expand business. The chance to buy books on the net (specially the IT-related ones that come to India much later if at all) gradually created a widening chasm between me and Landmark. Today I don’t remember when I last visited the store.

Not all blame lies at Landmark’s door though, if today’s ET news is to be believed. For long it remained hooked to a partnership with Emami, the city-based FMCG entity (one wonders at the odd relation!). Who knows perhaps there was something in their ‘relation’ that prevented Landmark to spread wings.

Now Landmark is part of Trent Ltd, which is a Tata company. Its majority stake is acquired by Trent and ties with Emami have been severed last month. The news is Landmark is set to open 3 new stores in Kolkata. They will be big ones and located mainly in the south of the city.

Landmark’s foray is all the more welcome, because long before the likes of Shoppers Stop and Big Bazaar set feet in Kolkata, Landmark had given the city its first touch-and-feel shopping experience. It’s time it grows big.