GROWING MALL CULTURE IN INDIA

What comes to your mind when you hear the word `Mall`? Shopping, food, movies,
entertainment or maybe time pass? Well, the word may bear different meanings to different
people but it definitely stands for more than any of these things. Today, shopping malls have
become a part and parcel of daily life of people living in Metros and big cities.

Introduction

Mall culture in India and especially in Delhi & NCR has grown with an incredible pace. Just a
few years back, people had to make a choice among shopping, movies or hanging out on a
holiday but thanks to our malls, all these jobs can be performed at the same time, under the same
roof and that too with a wonderful experience. And it is basically the experience and not the
intention that counts when it comes to malls. These malls have changed the trends to an extent
that the glamour that could be seen only on the silver screen has now come to our cities and we
can actually see it in our neighborhood. Almost all the malls present in the region can match any
high-quality mall in any part of the world.

Shopping malls are an emerging trend in the global arena. The first thing that comes in our mind
about the shopping malls is that it is a big enclosed building housing a variety of shops or
products. According to historical evidences shopping malls came into existence in the middle
ages, though it was not called so. The concept of departmental stores came up in the 19th century
with the Industrial Revolution. Consumers wanted a better shopping experience and this
demand gave rise to the emergence of of shopping malls in India.

Originally the first of the shopping malls was opened in Paris. Then the trend followed in the
other metros over the world, and there was a spree of shopping malls coming up at various
places. In this age of mass production and mass consumption, the concepts of shopping malls are
most modern method of attracting consumers. The concept of shopping was altered completely
with the emergence of these shopping malls.

Shopping was no longer limited to a mere buying activity - it has become synonymous with
splurging time and money. People simply go about roaming through the shopping mall in order
to peep through the window of the shop and often ending up buying something they like. The
consumers desire a combination of comfort and suitability which the shopping malls cater to,
and so this format of shopping has become so popular all over the world, and especially so in
India. The inclusion of amenities like restaurants, multiplexes, and car parks attract more and
more crowds to shopping malls, that are considered family hangout zones.
The reason why shopping malls are so popular lies in their international appeal. It seems to be a
thing of history when shopping malls had their presence only in places like Singapore and Dubai.
In fact, now they are everywhere around us.

If we dive back in time to the early Nineties, Ansal Plaza appeared to be the only popular
shopping mall of the region but presently there are more than two dozens of well-established
malls in the region and another 140-odd new shopping arcades are set to dot the city landscape in
days to come.

People find these malls to be the best place to shop or hang out in summer heat as they offer free
entry to a completely air conditioned complex with good music playing all around and loads of
window shopping opportunity which is appreciated by one and all. Not to forget the numerous
food joints that serve different cuisines meant to magnetize the taste buds of all the foodies.

Though malls are equally popular among all ages, the true lovers of multiplexes are the
youngsters for whom malls are the `ultimate place to be`. These malls serve their various
purposes like shopping, watching movies, dating or just to hang out though they really don’t
need a purpose for being there. “Malls are the coolest and safest place to go bunking”, says
Raghav, a college student while the other boys and girls belonging to the same age group have
no different opinions. These malls have also come up with different ways to cater to their target
visitors like some of them have discos where the Gen-X get a chance to chill-out during nights.
Mohit says, “Opening of discos has added a new adventure and fun to my life. I can now go and
party in the night too.”

Prospects of shopping malls in India

Global estimates say India will be home to 26.2 million square feet of shopping malls in 2006 and the
good news for the people belonging to NCR is that 40% of these will be concentrated in this region
alone.

Introduction of malls has not been able to replace traditional markets, which are still popular among
the pocket conscious people, but has definitely added a new adventure to the shopping experience.
The retail business in India is set to witness heady growth in the years ahead with the number of
shopping malls in Asia's third largest economy rising to a staggering 358 by the end of 2007, says a
study.
The country has some 100 malls now, with the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai accounting
for maximum numbers of the gleaming shopping centres, says a study by the Images fashion
magazine. The retail sector will see over 34 million sq ft of shopping centre space by the year end,
said the report on shopping centre development in India.

"Performance beyond expectation is all the more significant in the backdrop of adverse reports and
predictions on this sector," said Amitabh Taneja, director (India) of International Council of Shopping
Centres."Based on a complete list of shopping centre developments taking place across the country,
the projection for listed developments by 2007 is 358, with a total built up area of 87.8 million sq ft,"
he added.
According to Images, there are a total of 96 operational malls in India with a total built-up area of
21.6 million sq ft. The number will rise to 158 malls by the end of the current year. Organized retailing
is projected to grow at the rate of 25-30 per cent per annum to touch $8 billion by 2005 and $24
billion by 2010, said the Images study.

Investments in the retail sector are estimated at between $400 million and $500 million over the next
two to three years, and over $4 billion by the end of 2010, it added. The retail industry in India is
currently estimated at $205 billion, which is likely to grow at a rate of five percent per annum in the
coming years

Changing Attitudes of the Masses

Droves of middle-class Indians have broken off their love of traditional stand-alone Indian stores that
have no air conditioning; organized parking and other public amenities. Experts say malls throughout
the country are getting bigger as they are now being positioned as a one-stop-shop for shopping,
entertainment, leisure and eating-out needs rather than a place only for shopping for fashion
products.
By 2007, north zone will account for 39 per cent of total mall space, followed by west zone (33 per
cent), south zone (18 per cent) and east zone (10 per cent), and said the Images study. The study
said a lot more activity on the mall development front was expected from the smaller cities in the
years ahead. These cities will have about 12.8 million sq ft of mall space by 2007, with Ludhiana
accounting for about 2.5 million sq ft and Ahmedabad about 3.4 million sq ft.

The study said the fast growing middleclass population, the rise in women workforce and consumerism
over the decade was the major forces in driving demand in the retail sector. "To the present
generation, shopping means much more than a mere necessity and malls are now fast becoming
image benchmarks for communities”.

Emergence of a different Culture

Shopping orientations are related to general predisposition toward acts of shopping. They are
conceptualized as a specific dimension of lifestyle and operationalized on the basis of activities,
interests and opinion statements pertaining to acts of shopping. Efforts have been made to classify
consumers into distinct segments primarily for targeting purposes.

In a seminal study, Stone identified four kinds of shopping orientations:

• Economic,
• Personalizing,
• Ethical,
• Apathetic.

Others developed a three-group taxonomy of shopping orientations -- inactive shopper, active out-
shopper, and thrifty innovator. Lumpkin in studying elderly consumers, identified three additional
distinct segments -- uninvolved shopper, inflation-conscious shopper, and actively, highly involved
shopper.

Korgaonkar examined six groups of shoppers:

• recreational shopper price-oriented shopper
• brand-loyal shopper, psych-socializing shopper
• store-loyal shopper time-oriented shopper.

Shopper typologies have also been developed for specific product categories. For instance, Furse,
Punj, and Stewart profiled automobile shoppers into four categories. Constructive shoppers work hard
at gathering information from Consumer Reports and showrooms. Surrogate shoppers depend heavily
on others for information search and evaluation. Preparatory shoppers spend more time talking to
friends, rather than spending time with in-store sources. Routinized shoppers spend relatively less
time on information search but exhibit considerable loyalty to the same brand and dealer because of
past satisfaction.
Findings are mixed with regard to the major characteristics of non-store or home shoppers.
Convenience and recreational orientations were found to be related to catalog shopping. A broad
examination of non-store shoppers found them to be younger, venturesome, and recreational. Another
study suggested those home shoppers as thrifty innovators, having lower income and focusing on time
management.

Online stores attract shoppers with certain orientations. In a recent research report, Greenfield Online
found that online shopping is preferred over in-store shopping by some Internet users because of its
convenience and time savings. However, the study also found that an overwhelming 69 percent of
Internet users said shopping at stores and malls allows them to see, feel, touch, and try on the
products before they buy them. These findings suggest that the consumers who value convenience are
more likely to buy on the Web, while those who prefer experiencing products are less likely to buy
online.

These findings are consistent with the current situation of most online stores. At present, the Web has
demonstrated its large capacity for disseminating information of various kinds. Many online storefronts
are full of information that is searchable. That is, consumers can examine search attributes of
products such as sizes, models, and prices . With the help of shopping robots, consumers can search
information about products from different online stores with one search request . Consumers can also
"experience" certain digital products online. For instance, they can play a segment of a music CD or
download a trial version of a software program to their immediate satisfaction. Consumers also can
experience non-digital products such as wines or cosmetics indirectly through reading testimonials
online. However, today's online stores have a limited capacity for consumers to experience tangible
products.

Conclusion

Introduction of malls has not been able to replace traditional markets, which are still popular among
the pocket conscious people, but has definitely added a new adventure to the shopping experience.
The retail sector will see over 34 million sq ft of shopping centre space by the year end, said the
report on shopping centre development in India. "To the present generation, shopping means much
more than a mere necessity and malls are now fast becoming image benchmarks for communities.”
Shopping orientations are related to general predisposition toward acts of shopping. They are
conceptualized as a specific dimension of lifestyle and operationalized on the basis of activities,
interests and opinion statements pertaining to acts of shopping

10 Benefits Of Shopping At Malls

By: CHARNEDRA MCCOOK

Break Studios Contributing Writer

If you do not like the mall, there are 10 great benefits of shopping at malls. It is a sure way to get
out of the house and have some fun. Anybody of any age can go, so if you need somewhere to
take the kids, your spouse or friends, check out these benefits of shopping at malls.

1. There are multiple people to meet. No matter what mall you visit, there
is always a group of people walking around. Malls are one of the friendliest
places. They are almost like an indoor park.
2. There is food. There should be no reason to leave a mall too early. If
anyone gets hungry, the food court is right inside. We do not have to relocate
 or drive through that busy line at McDonald's just to get a meal. The food
court is very beneficial to mall shoppers.
3. We find everything needed at one stop. This is one of the great benefits
of shopping at malls. Everything we need is more than likely in the mall. We
don't have to waste gallons of gas just to get everything done. The mall is our
one-stop shop.
4. We get to walk around. Exercise is always a plus. While we shop, we can
get our exercise going on too. Most malls are large enough to get at least a
30-minute workout. What a win-win situation.
5. There are a lot of different events and offers. If a certain promotion,
sale, or giveaway is being offered, the companies know that the mall is the
best place to target people. You'd be surprised at how many offers are
present in the mall. One day you might get lucky or discover a unique
product.
6. Beat the weather and still shop. Some people don't like to go out
because it may be too hot, rainy, or cold. In the mall, the temperature is
controlled to the right temperature. You may forget all about the weather
once you are inside.
7. There is always a place to sit down. If you ever get tired of standing,
there are always benches nearby. Most people never get tired of shopping,
but it is always nice to know that we can stop and take a rest if we want to.
8. We do not always have to spend our money. Just because we go to the
mall does not mean we have to buy something. We could just hang out with
our friends or whomever we may be with. We could just check out the latest
fashion and all the free benefits of shopping at malls.
9. We always find something we like or want to buy. It is hard to go out to
the mall and not find anything we like. Even if we do not buy anything the
same day, we will eventually buy something that excites us. Its beneficial to
find something that we like so much.
10.We get to dress up just because. Almost everyone dresses up to go to
the mall. We wear our best stuff to look good. Since there are sure to be
other people at the mall, it is always smart to give a good impression.

Shopping malls

The latest trend in the corporate universe is of the emergence of the shopping malls.

Challenges faced by Retail Managers at Indian Malls

chillibreeze writer — Uma Avantsa

“Once the stores are leased out, the developers are not worried
about the promotion any more. Though a few malls organize
some in-house promotional activities but that alone doesn’t
guarantee a good footfall.” – A retailer at The Great India Place
“Majority of the developers have done nothing about the
branding, marketing, budgeting, financing part of running a
mall. This is hurting the efficiency resulting in set back in the
main business,” - Rajneesh Mahajan national head-retail
services Cushman and Wakefield
“The retailers are treated as cash cows instead of being
considered an integral part of mall “- Amit Rai, Business Head
of Oliver, an apparel brand. >> read more
“There is a lot to be desired from the mall developers in India” - Wong Kok Wing, a mall
management veteran in Singapore and South East Asian countries.

With over 100 malls operating in India and more than 300 being developed, the opportunities
offered in the retail landscape are immense. Mall space is expected to touch 60 million square
feet by end-2008. With such a huge supply of space, mall owners and developers in India need to
focus on vision, scalability and processes and create a distinct proposition for themselves in the
market. The emergence of specialty malls is a step in this direction.

Retailers today face many challenges, including increasing competitive pressures, thin margins,
high occupancy costs and unpredictable supply base that come in the way of their attaining
operational efficiency and profitability. As organized retail grows, the market will only become
more competitive and developers will have to work hard to differentiate. Faulty mall
management along with inappropriate tenant mix would lead to poor mall traffic and closure of
individual stores in malls. Professional third party mall management service providers are hence
likely to come to the fore. They not only understand these business challenges, but also have the
ability to help retailers effectively deal with them.

Generally there are two types of consumers who visit malls – focused buyers and impulse
buyers. The time spent by focused buyers inside the mall is relatively lower as compared with
impulse buyers who spend a lot of time window shopping. Malls which have entertainment
zones and/ or promotional activities have larger foot falls and more percentage of impulse
buyers. Mall management becomes critical to attract impulse buyers. For example, Ansal Plaza
in Delhi has ensured its success through good promotional events and mall management
practices since its inception in 1999. Its amphitheatre which is dedicated to promotional activities
has ensured footfalls despite newer malls coming up in the NCR region.

Contrary to popular misconception that mall management is synonymous with facility

management, mall management actually takes care of the issues like:
- positioning
- zoning (tenant mix and placement within mall)
- promotions and marketing
- facility management (infrastructure, footfalls, ambience)
- finance management
Various business models are adopted by retailers/ developers while utilizing the services of a
professional firm as given below. The fees are either per annum or per assignment.

Business Key aspects Benefits for Mall Benefits for Mall

Model Developer Management

Contract Fixed fee Fixed cash Risk minimization

Model outflows.
Higher inflows if
mall is a success

Revenue Percentage Risk minimization Share of revenues if

sharing of sales mall is a success
model which leads to
higher income

Partial Fixed fee + Risk minimization Minimum payment

revenue percentage (fixed fee less guaranteed and also
sharing of sales than that in the portion of revenues
model case of contract) in case of success

There are very few mall management companies in India at present. Large real estate developers
and retail chains either have their own mall management divisions or have contracts with
international consultants. In developed markets mall management is an established independent
service line. Till recently contract model was the norm in India. But the revenue sharing model is
increasingly becoming popular with retailers in India due to the present economic situation.

India is yet to embrace the concept of third party mall management in retailing. Some of the
issues could be:
- Planning the mall around anchor tenants
- Lack of market research by developers
- Tendency to lease out on a FCFS basis
- Perceive outsourcing as additional cost
- Lack of accountability for in-house promotional activities
- Improper planning for space (lack of parking space, single entry/ exit points)

With the slowdown of the realty sector, developers might give the mall management practice a
thought in order to ensure that the slowdown does not affect its footfalls. Mall market in India
has become extremely competitive especially due to the sudden boom in the real estate sector.
Malls have come up in the Tier II cities and rural areas as well albeit in a smaller and different
format. With increasing competition from high street retailers, developers are finding it difficult
to achieve 100% occupancy rates.

A specialist’s retail property management skills enable property owners to receive the benefit of
master planning and development expertise which is critical to ensure that malls are strategically
positioned for long-term growth and success.

CASE STUDY

Southgate Mall in Australia is a good example of how a retail centre was transformed into a
brand.

Southgate mall was built in 1983 and comprised of 58 specialty stores with a total built-up area
of 250,000 square feet. Its anchor tenants are popular local department stores. During 1999-2000,
Southgate gave the task of complete makeover of the premises to a professional mall
management company, which completed the task commendably. The repositioning and
refurbishment was undertaken with an investment of AUD 13 Million.

In 2006, an additional 20,000 sq ft of space was added to the shopping centre. The mall
management firm provided support to place lease tenants. This resulted in an additional income
of AUD 620,000 per annum for the property and potential additional sales of AUD 20 million.
Further, the mall management firm reinforced mall’s retail mix by emphasizing on fresh food
offers. It launched Freshworld which helped in increasing customer traffic by 11.4% and moving
annual turnover (MAT)

Mall culture and its implications

Malls are the battlegrounds where the brands, small, medium and big, the known, the not-so-well-known, fight it out for
the consumer�s attention. And the consumer is �loving it� and asking for more. Why the mall culture is on rise in India?
A report.
GONE ARE the days when people had to buy different things at different places. Those were the
days when there were separate markets for various things. People used to visit general stores for
purchasing daily-required household materials. There were separate markets for buying clothes
in cities like Mumbai. People used to visit Kalbadevi, Bhulabhai Desai Road and Chira Bazaar
areas of south Mumbai to buy clothes for special occasions. Shopping was never as convenient
for people as it is now.

Now, the things have been changed completely and almost everything is available for all of us
under just one roof. Thanks to the beautiful malls opened across the country in last five years.
The shopping malls have made shopping an easy activity for people now. Irrespective of
whatever you wish to buy, just visit a nearby mall and you will find everything available at your
fingertips. You just name anything and the mall has it. Each of the malls has its own attractions
that make it a great crowd puller. Even in the remotest areas of any big city, you can find a mall.

Leading brands in apparel, watches, cafes, footwear and FMCG (fast moving consumer goods)
had made the Brand Owners Forum (BOF) in 2005, with a planning to open nearly 300 malls
across the country just in three years. The brands in BOF include Adidas, Cafe Coffee Day, Hi
Design, Himalaya Healthcare, ITC, Levi Strauss, Madura Garments, Nike India, Oyzterbay,
Proline, Reebok India and Titan. A massive investment is required to set up a mall as at least
200,000 sq ft of space is needed with enough land for parking and free flow of traffic for the
movement of hundreds of people near the mall.
I happened to visit a beautifully designed and constructed Eternity mall in Thane (W), one of the
suburbs of Mumbai city, constructed by Kanakia Spaces. Let me share my experience and
information about the Eternity-Mall. It is located next to the Thane-Mulund toll-naka. The lavish
three -storey mall, spread into 85000-sq ft area, was opened in 2005. With beautiful interiors,
extremely pleasing ambience, centrally air-conditioned, this mall offers you much more than just
shopping.

People from Mulund and Thane prefer to visit Eternity mall due to various reasons. Not very far
from Eternity is Nirmal Lifestyle. However, this mall also offers you with Dollar Store, Shahnaz
home shop and Planet M, the brands, which are missing in Nirmal Lifestyle. Ample parking is
also an added advantage to it.

And of course lots and lots of places for youngsters to hang out like Café Coffee day, Smokin
Joes, Baskin and Robbins, Subway, Noodle Bar, Bombay Blues, Shiv Sagar– a place for Indian
food and of-course Cinemax, a four screen multiplex with a capacity of 1056 seats and the very
popular Red lounge to give a world class cinema experience. What can be anything better than
this?

You will also find your favorite outlets like Raymonds, Cotton Cottage, Koutons, Globus,
Lilliput–for kids, Pantaloons and several other smaller clothes brands. For a pair of shoes,
nothing can be better than to visit ‘Metro’ where u can grab the advantage of flat 50% discounts
while you enjoy picking up you pair of shoes. Surprising to our knowledge is also the outlet of
“Regal” shoes and “Boot Store” on the same floor just a couple of steps away from “Metro” and
if you are assuming of similar discounts from Regal or latter then you are highly mistaken.

Brands like Reebok, Nike, Adidas, etc. are also available at much affordable rates. And of course
there are stores where u can buy perfumes ranging from Rs 500 - Rs 10000, expensive saris,
dress materials, artistic jewellery etc. Something unique to find in the mall is a Dollar Store
where any item can be bought for Rs. 99 only. This store helps you to buy some routine
household materials. Youngsters will be delighted to find their favorite place, ‘Archies’, fitness
lovers can buy a range of fitness products from ‘Proline’ and a beautiful shop ‘Shahnaz Home
Shop’ where u can pickup curtains, carpets, bedsheets, pillow covers, blankets and much more to
decorate your home at its best.

The most unique feature of this mall, which I haven’t found in any mall so far, is the ‘Gulf Gate
Hair Fixing’. I am sure you must be wondering what is so special as the name itself suggests that
this is a salon. But let me clarify the confusion. If you are not bold enough to be bald, then this is
the right place for you where u can get the hair fixed getting a natural look with the help of
Canadian technology. Their charges range from Rs.10000 - Rs.18000. The company started their
outlets in Middle East and then moved to India. The outlet in Eternity Mall is the first in Mumbai
and they plan to come up with more outlets in western suburbs of Mumbai in future.

You will also find Giggles, a huge gaming zone on the third floor where kids can utilize the time
at the optimum. I spoke to some of the outlet owners to know their experience of having an
outlet in malls and the reasons behind having their outlets in mall. I also spoke to them about the
changing trend in today’s society and how far does it help them to sustain in everyday increasing
competition.

Most of the outlet owners are happy to be a part of any mall. Because, according to them, malls
are always being constructed at prime locations and in high profile areas. The changing trend,
convenience of shopping, getting variety of items under one roof attracts and induces people of
all age group to frequently visit malls. The changing lifestyle and increasing standard of living
also plays a vital role. According to them, due to the growing BPO industry in India, youngsters
are financially more sound and capable to spend more of their own and hence this is also of a
great support to them.

There was a time when only youngsters used to be the only customers to visit mall. But
gradually, the mall culture has been successful to attract customers of every age towards it.
However, as we all know that every coin has two sides and so has this coin of the ever-
developing culture of malls. We already talked about how malls have proved to be like a ‘dream
come true’ for customers. Now let us have a look at the other side of it. Are all the investors who
rushed into the mall business happy? Are the returns coming in? Going by the mall traffic on
weekdays, this seems highly unlikely. Malls that have proved themselves stable in the market
have less to worry about as they have successfully built their strong customer base.

At one hand, where customers have got so many benefits of the malls, they say that they have
lost a personal touch with the shop owners and a special relationship that they have with their
local ‘kirana’ stores since last so many years. In malls, they definitely get good services but they
lack ‘after-sales services’. In malls, they feel they are being treated as just another customer
whereas in the local ‘kirana’ store they are known by their names, their tastes, etc. Several times,
even personal problems are being discussed at the local stores. If any item is found to be of
undesired quality then they can easily get it exchanged for a better one. And of course, at a local
store, they enjoy their bargaining right for every single product.

Of course the number of customers daily visiting the malls cannot be overlooked and hence it
looks almost impossible to know customers by their names, etc. However, there are many
customers who regularly visit their favorite mall and some selected shops in the mall. And this is
when they expect some ‘more than usual’ treatments as a regular customer.

Malls are the battlegrounds where the brands, small, medium and big, the known, the not-so-
well-known and the wannabe ones, fight it out for the consumer’s attention. And the consumer is
‘loving it’ and asking for more. Yes, this is one culture that consumers are happy about. So
happy that no one seems to mind the ’unplanned expenditure’ incurred by an outing to such an
enticing place. They enjoy air-conditioned comfort, availability of a range of merchandise just
under one roof, and a one-stop family entertainment arena.

Given the rate at which malls are coming up, the commercial as well as residential real estate
business is spiraling upwards. The range and scope of the economic activity generated from mall
culture promises many things to many people. Other than offering shoppers more value for
money, the scale of operations generates employment opportunities, direct and indirect, for
thousands of people.
Regardless of all the pros and cons of these ever-increasing malls in the country, the moral of the
story is that people love this trend and whole-heartedly welcome this culture. So I can only say
one thing that, “Yeh mall nahin ‘ka-mall’ hai!”

by Chakresh Mishra

Nov 22, 2006

Mall culture in India : Features

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series mall culture in India

mall culture in India

• Mall culture in India : Features

• Mall culture in India : Effects

The skyline is filled with boxes built of mirrored windows, skeletons of new malls and
billboards promising a better life for the country’s modern maharajas. Shop at Tommy Hilfiger
and eat at Pizza Hut. The toilets flush automatically, The floors are spotless. “There’s a new
culture coming now,” said Pawan Sharma, sitting at McD in Globus Mall, which opened last
year. “The Western culture, the mall culture is coming. This is not really the traditional India.”
This is closer to the opposite of India. In this country, people traditionally shop at local markets,
where vegetables are sold in one tiny shop and milk in another. Shoppers go from one store to
the next, buying flowers here, chicken there. They bargain for better deals. The markets often are
filthy, littered with garbage. But the malls offer everything under one roof, even stores such as
Big Bazaar, a smaller, more chaotic version of Wal-Mart (one is there in our own ShopC named
NayaBazaar) are out of fashion now. There is central air conditioning, a novelty here. Signs tell
people how to ride the escalators, still new to India. Songs by Depeche Mode and Radiohead
blare over mall loudspeakers. People speak to each other in English instead of Hindi.
What is MALL:
I like to quote wikipedia here.
“A shopping mall (or simply mall), shopping center, or shopping arcade is a building or set of
buildings that contain stores, and has interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk
from store to store. The walkways may or may not be enclosed.”
Why people in India come to a Mall:
Based on our little talks with people in rave and globus we find out that for different age groups,
there are different reasons to come to mall. But somehow all of them are related to advertisement
and cultural industry and ease of shopping. Here are the reasons in descending order of
popularity-

05-15 : For toys which some shops offers, Because their friends goes there, they saw a TV ad

15-25 : To see some good looking opposite sex, Chill out and time pass, To show off

25-45 : Shopping, Dinner and movie, Kids force them

45-above : Kids force them, Shopping, Hell with malls they don’t like malls

Now we will discuss all these facts in the light of sociology.

The great Indian mall boom:

It’s a revolution that’s fast changing the way of life for millions of shopping crazy citizens in
India. Kanpur is way behind in this process but we can see the trends in NCR. From the days of
mama-papa stores at the local marketplace, Delhi and NCR is now metamorphosing into the land
of upscale shopping centers and malls, much on the lines of Singapore and Dubai. At last count,
over four dozen shopping malls were operational in the region last year and another 140-odd new
shopping arcades are set to dot the city landscape in days to come. Kanpur will follow same path
in near future as Rave, Globus, Vishal mega mart are indications. Global estimates say India will
be home to 36.2 million square feet of shopping malls in 2008 And the developers of these malls
seem to have their finger on the pulse of discerning customer’s needs. That explains why special
malls focusing on marriages, jewellery and on high-end brands are mushrooming all over the
country. Take the example of Gurgaon, a sleepy little suburb of the Indian capital New Delhi. In
a development that surprised many town planners, Gurgaon transformed itself overnight by first
housing the headquarters of many multinational corporations and banks, and then calling itself
the “shopping-mall capital of India”. So, friends Malls are here, kneel before them!
Mall: A natural phenomenon in late industrial society:

We can clearly observe that malls are very much qualifying for the tag of flag holders of late
industrial society. They pop up in America in late 70s, then in European countries and in third
world nations like India are undergoing same process. Let us find out how malls are
representatives of late industrial society.

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Malls are characterize by their smiling workers. All of them are dressed same way and they are
trained to behave friendly and with curtsey. Many malls also give awards like “best employee of
the month” to encourage them. An ever smiling worker of malls are now stereotype of modern
culture. This is emotional labor, “the act of expressing socially desired emotions during service
transaction” as said by Alan Bryman in his essay The “Disneyization of Society” .Customer likes
this feature and feels a bit respected in society.

• Flatter organization:

This is phenomenon we observe in our group trip to rave three. In pantaloon there were no
manager. All of employees were assistant trainee or security guard. Talking to a trainee, he told
us that they have a boss in delhi, who controls 4-5 malls same time by internet and often visits
Kanpur. So there are effectively only two levels to run a mall.

• Mass Society:

Mass society is a society in which concerns of majority plays a prominent role. Malls owners
always take a deep interest in consumers need and then promote product for everyone which is
well thought of and same in core but different in packaging. It gives consumer a false satisfaction
that he is getting his choice but in reality he is getting same thing as someone else. (Everybody
now a days eats PIZZ

A of their own choice at McD).

Also on a larger scale due to malls we at Kanpur get same quality of product as in Mumbai. This
minimize the risk factor in products that whether this particular piece is good or not. Anywhere
in world you can see that big M of you know what.

• Cultural industry and entertainment:

Malls and various coffee chains have been claimed by the city’s youth as a space of their own.
From the elitist literary coffee culture of Dryden and Pope in 18th century London, to the haunts
of dedicated journos in the India of 1960s and 70s, the cuppa has had a long and varied history
around the world. Every city provides a ‘chill out zone’ to its youth that insists on ‘value
addition’ to simply sipping cola or a cup of tea. The air-conditioning, music, movies, scrabble
and discs full of wisecracks, all add up to an atmosphere that is probably a familiar, yet upscale
version of the college canteen.
• Knowledge becoming source of power:

Now knowledge of market can land you a great job because everybody is searching for the mood
of customers. Advertising is a refined outcome of market knowledge. Mall is a place which
promotes the centralized advertising. Your advertisement in a mall itself guaranty reach up to a
large number of customer. But due to malls reading habits are going to drain. This is a reverse
thing from late industrial society. Books and the reading habit have not been able to survive the
onslaught of, first, television and, now, the malls and Internet. Apart from the annual book fair,
country does not see much happening in that front either. Though thousands flock the fair, few
are book-lovers. Publishers also complain that “most only come to see the books, few to buy”.
The message is loud and clear – books are still something people want to see and flip through,
not buy because they have other time passes.

• Use of technology:

Most of the small shopkeepers already feeling heat as malls are using new and good technology
for food packaging and administrative task. Lifts, Escalators, air conditioners, electronic security
system are few example. Also now online malls are also in function in India