Crossword Expands Footprint with Focus on Tier-2 Cities and Metro Flagships

Crossword, one of India’s leading bookstore chains, is actively expanding in tier-2 cities, responding to the growing demand for quality bookstores. The brand is focusing on key regions across South and West India while also exploring flagship stores in metro cities and expanding into airport retail.

With a vision to enrich lives through the power of books, Crossword aims to become India’s most beloved bookstore chain, evolving into a literary and cultural hub. The company plans to expand to 300 stores across India, including tier-2 and tier-3 cities, while strengthening its franchise model to empower entrepreneurs in the book retail space.

Aakash Gupta, CEO of Crossword Bookstore, highlighted the brand’s evolution in the digital age: "Crossword has been a pioneer in India’s bookstore retail industry, constantly innovating to stay relevant. While the shift towards a digital-first lifestyle has brought its set of challenges, it also presented opportunities. We’ve expanded our omnichannel presence, integrating our offline stores with crossword.in to offer seamless browsing, ordering, and delivery. We’re also focused on an engagement-driven model, making bookstores vibrant cultural hubs with author meet-ups, book signings, and children’s storytelling sessions."

Additionally, Crossword is enhancing its omnichannel presence for seamless shopping, developing AI-driven personalized recommendations, and fostering a vibrant community of readers, writers, and book lovers.