The Inimitable Mr. Shanbhag and a brand called Strand

The ever growing ‘retailing & franchising culture’ in Mumbai city has seen n number of cafes, pizza places, beauty salons, to name a few categories, spring up on every corner of almost every street you turn.

The book selling industry wasn’t left in the lurch with the popular ‘Crossword’ chain which already consists of twenty-eight stores across almost 10 states of the country and is still expanding.

Amidst all this big-business, off a road known mainly for the multitudes of international banks in the busy Fort area, is the Strand Book Stall. The place was founded in 1948 and was named so because it started, quite literally, as a stall in the old Strand Cinema in Colaba.

Today, almost 6 decades down the line, unlike its competitors, Strand doesn’t sell coffee, it doesn’t have any music playing and its only branch is in Bangalore.

Why and how is it then that Strand has not only managed to survive in today’s growth-oriented market but also remained top of its game?

The answer lies in the person of Mr. T. N. Shanbhag, the founder-proprietor.

When you first meet Mr. Shanbhag you may mistakenly assume he is but an old employee of the store, such is his humility and character. You would be excused for not realizing he is a Padma Shri recipient (in the year 2003) and that he has served the likes of Pandit Nehru to our present President Abdul Kalam.

What you will not miss though, is his obvious love for books. You will see it in his eyes as he guides you to find the gem you seek. You will hear it in his voice as he talks about his personal collection of over 6500 books, every one of which he has read. You will see it in the way he handles a book. With love. And with due respect.

I first met Mr. Shanbhag when I was a little girl and my mum first took me to Strand. She worked nearby and used to frequent the bookstore sometimes as often as thrice a week (I inherited my love for books from her!). Over the years I too frequented the place and Mr. Shanbhag would never fail to show me around when I came, telling me what new books were in stock, showing me what books he knew exactly I would like to read.

Mr. Shanbhag was the first to offer a minimum 20% discount on all books in the store (today some are discounted upto 50% in the store!). He imports books if unavailable – all one has to do is ask. I know; I’ve done so many times and I’ve never been disappointed.

In the year 1998, Mr. Shanbhag started the ‘Annual Strand Book Stall Sale’ seven years ago, which has since been hailed as “a prominent feature of Mumbai’s cultural calendar”.

Throughout it all, he has retained that which eludes the retail & the franchise world – his personal touch. On any given day – even during the sale – Mr. Shanbhag is personally present. He is still as humble & as smiling faced as ever, doting on people like a simple salesman ready to do one’s bidding.

Being out of the city, it has been many years since I last saw Mr. Shanbhag. I was looking forward to meeting him when I visited the sale yesterday (it is on until the 7th of this month).

And as usual, he did not disappoint me. There he was smiling as usual, talking to different people about his one love – books.

When I approached him, I started to introduce myself to him – surely he would not recognize me! I was happily mistaken - he not only remembered me, but my mum too.

And he was as unchanged as ever (despite the Padma Shri). I asked him to pose for a picture and he, true to character, obliged me.

I walked away from the sale yesterday happy, not only because I had purchase new gems to read – but because I knew the man who sold them to me to be a gem in his own right.

In our impersonal world of call centers & retail shops, Mr. Shanbhag remains unchanged. And inimitable. Here’s to you Mr. Shanbhag, may the world learn from you!