Cashing in on the boom in the country's retail sector leading booksellers as well as publishers are now turning online to boost sales.

After setting up book cafes that offer customers facilities to sip tea, listen to music or browse the net apart from buying books, New-Age bookstores are now looking to expand their customer base through online sales.

According to estimates drawn by the Central Statistical Organisation Statistics, 2006, the total books, music and gift retail industry in the country that is currently pegged at Rs 11,500 crore has witnessed an increase of 17.3 per cent from last year.

Spurred on by the boom in the country's retail industry there has been a sustained efforts by booksellers to change the way books are purchased.

Many leading bookstores and retail chains such as Oxford, Landmark and Crosswords have transformed the older bookstore format. With an average size of 8,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq feet that is around eight times that of the traditional stores, these newer stores sporting facilities for readers for reading, drinking tea as well as listening to and buying music and movies.

Dehradun-headquartered 'The English Book Depot Book Cafe,' for example seeks to change the shopping and retailing of books in the country.

"Our mission is to set up a chain of Book Cafe outlets all over India, to offer a superior book shopping experience and to reinvent the way the books are bought and sold in India," says Sandeep Dutt, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the EBD Book Cafe Pvt Ltd.

Courtesy : Expressindia.com

Britons are changing their media habits as more women and people over 65 go online and as more consumers opt for a single provider for their Internet, entertainment and phone services, an industry report says.

Among the changing trends in 2006, children are cutting back from using computer games to spend time on mobile phones and the Internet, British media regulator Ofcom said in its annual report.

As technologies, platforms and devices have come together due to increased broadband penetration, more people are making phone calls over the Internet, listening to radio via television and watching TV over mobile phones.

In response, advertisers diverted more money to the Internet and away from traditional sources, Ofcom said.

Among the changing trends in 2006, children are cutting back from using computer games to spend time on mobile phones and the Internet, British media regulator Ofcom said in its annual report.

As technologies, platforms and devices have come together due to increased broadband penetration, more people are making phone calls over the Internet, listening to radio via television and watching TV over mobile phones.

In response, advertisers diverted more money to the Internet and away from traditional sources, Ofcom said.

Courtesy : Expressindia.com