Online sales take off ahead of Ekushey Book Fair
Although Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2022 began on Tuesday after being deferred for half-a-month due to the surge of Covid-19 infections, readers have already started purchasing the books published targeting the annual event thanks to online platforms.
The higher Covid-19 infection rate and delay in the launch of the fair had disappointed young poet Aleem Haider. He apprehended this year's fair would be as depressed as it had been last year.
This was a matter of concern over the sale of his new book, Shwapnoloker Shontrash, where he rediscovers his village's beauty and opulence of nature during the height of the pandemic.
But to his surprise, his publisher Moni Mohammod Ruhul Amin, director of Agradoot, told him last week that more than 100 copies had already been sold online.
"There was a vacuum in book sales last year due to the pandemic but writers, readers and publishers have taken preparations for this year with a greater presence online," said Haider.
Amin said most of the online orders for books of his establishment this season were made through platforms like Rokomari.com and Othoba.com.
"Besides, customers can pre-order or order directly from our website too. We have developed an online mechanism since readers are more prone to making online orders amid the pandemic," he said.
According to publishers and online platforms, sales over the internet increased anywhere from 50 per cent to 100 per cent during this pre-fair season compared to the same time last year, when it had slumped by over 50 per cent.
Plagued by the pandemic, Baatighar, a publication house hoping to grow a reputation for decent taste in book releases and picturesque stores, introduced its own online book sales mechanism in 2020 amid the pandemic. That effort paid off.
Proprietor Dipankar Das said online sales doubled in the first two weeks of February compared to the same period in previous months.
"New books published by us and translated books are selling well. Besides, the demand for nonfiction and classics is also good," he said.
Marking the fair, it is offering discounts of 25 per cent to 40 per cent throughout February on both online and physical purchases.
Publication house Prothoma launched an online book fair from February 1 offering a discount of 25 per cent.
"We started the online book fair before the actual fair in keeping with readers' expectations and we are getting the expected response as online sales have gone up," said Jakir Hussain, manager of the publishing company.
Readers are ordering fiction, autobiographies, children's books, books on politics, religion, the Liberation War, essays and research, he said.
"We are getting a good response online and sales are increasing day by day as people are getting used to making online purchases," said Mazharul Islam, publisher of Anyaprokash.
According to him, about 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the publication's total sales are normally made through online orders.
"But for this year, the share of online sales would increase significantly," he added.
According to Mahmudul Hasan Sohag, co-founder of Rokomari, the largest online bookseller in Bangladesh, online orders increased 30-40 per cent in the first two weeks of February compared to the same period last year.
When the government enforced a strict countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19, online book sales fell due to logistical challenges and a drop in the people's purchasing power, he said.
"However, the pandemic has brought many people online. Overall, there has been a positive growth during the pandemic," Sohag added.
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