MEGA STORE SHOPPING IS IN

The Times of India - Bangalore Times, November 13, 2003, Bangalore

Sangeeta Cavale
The Times Network
People in South Bangalore have a new form of entertainment and enjoyment – frequenting some of the many new, swanky shopping malls and one-stop shops. Thanks to retailing, which is changing the face of the city.

Foodworlds, Family Mart, Metro cash and carry, 7 to 11 and numerous other swanky stores and shopping malls have sprung up in this area making shopping something of a family affair for many south Bangaloreans.

Shopping and retailing have undergone a sea change in Bangalore over the last 7-8 years. There are a few one-stop shops, some with a supermarket, music shop, entertainment centre for children, book store, home furnishings, furniture, groceries, food court and more – all under one roof.

Venkatesh Babu who owns a bookstore in one of the marts says, “People can easily spend three hours in these shops. It’s like an outing for the family. Many of the departmental stores have stylish cafeterias to attract customers.

Ananth, a 17-year-old PU student likes the games and dash cars at Family Mart. “It’s something different and I find the products reasonable,” he says.

People who own businesses in other parts of South Bangalore want to make their presence felt by opening branches in these mega retail stores.

Danseuse Rashmi Hegde Gopi who lives off Kanakapura road enjoys cooking up an Italian or Thai meal. She says that foreign cheeses, pasta and cold cuts which were unavailable a few years ago are now easy to find at some of the new departmental stores in her part of town.

Weekends in South Bangalore have become a mela with families going out in droves to these shopping marts-to-shop and to be entertained. So much so, try getting into one of these recently opened marts on Kanakapura road and you might not even be able to get your car into the spacious car park. It could be the novelty of getting many things under one roof that makes people flock to a large all-in-one store. The road jams caused particularly on weekends outside some of these malls are to be seen to be believed. In fact, last weekend many people had to return home on a detour since Kanakapura road was blocked with cars and there was no parking space left.

As the old adage goes, change always comes with a price tag.