Kya waqt hai Zindagi jeene ka!
Why do we like going to shopping malls?
For us Indians, shopping malls are a recent phenomenon and almost every one of us has taken an immediate liking to the idea. For a diverse country like ours, the warm, unanimous reception that shopping malls have received is surprising. I don’t think barring the Internet, this nation has so emphatically embraced any other product/service/idea in the recent past. Pepsi, Mcdonald’s, 3-D Dome theatres, SEZs, –think of any recent example of products/services/idea and none has received such a reception.
What makes these shopping malls so unique?
They aren’t always about buying. I have made so many trips to the malls without buying anything.
They aren’t always about good food. I mean how many times you have gone to a mall only to eat?
They aren’t always about watching a movie. Nowadays, all movie halls are alike, whether in a mall or not.
Still, shopping malls have become a favorite pastime of a large community of people. Why?
Ok, they offer everything under one roof. This is a huge offering but then, most Indian markets (or bazaars) always had food courts close by, some would have had cinema halls in the vicinity as well.
I hated going to the bazaar; not any more.
The thing that attracts most people to the malls is the variety. Take any product segment and you will have so many different products that it is easy to lose count. Not just that, the malls keep adding new product segments as well. So, every time you visit, just the number of product segments and products on display within each segment is captivating enough- forget the lower MRPs, discounts and schemes! Now, I am not an impulsive buyer and most times, when I buy, I decide beforehand what I want. So it is only a question of going to the mall and getting it. Even though, I like strolling through the mall just to look at what all it offers and I think in that, lies the reason for the success of the malls.
They shout on top of their voice that it is a buyer’s market. They are open for all and they emphasize that the customer is the king. With the kind of choices they offer, they put the customer in a very pleasant dilemma. They aren’t bothered if the customer’s decision-making has become more time-consuming; they rather revel in the fact that with so much of choice, they have made the customer think hard before she buys. And for people like me, they have even made window-shopping so much more interesting!
They are all about choices and that’s what makes them so compelling!
Interestingly, freedom takes on different meanings as we progress. For us Indians, if in the 20th Century, it meant the ‘freedom to be’; in the 21st, it is going to mean ‘freedom to choose’ [or the ‘freedom to window shop’:-)]!
And lately, since India has become such an attractive place to sell, the average Indian customer can only expect more and more choices going forward!
This independence day, let us wish all the sellers more freedom to sell. As for us customers, we have always felt free to be pampered!
For us Indians, shopping malls are a recent phenomenon and almost every one of us has taken an immediate liking to the idea. For a diverse country like ours, the warm, unanimous reception that shopping malls have received is surprising. I don’t think barring the Internet, this nation has so emphatically embraced any other product/service/idea in the recent past. Pepsi, Mcdonald’s, 3-D Dome theatres, SEZs, –think of any recent example of products/services/idea and none has received such a reception.
What makes these shopping malls so unique?
They aren’t always about buying. I have made so many trips to the malls without buying anything.
They aren’t always about good food. I mean how many times you have gone to a mall only to eat?
They aren’t always about watching a movie. Nowadays, all movie halls are alike, whether in a mall or not.
Still, shopping malls have become a favorite pastime of a large community of people. Why?
Ok, they offer everything under one roof. This is a huge offering but then, most Indian markets (or bazaars) always had food courts close by, some would have had cinema halls in the vicinity as well.
I hated going to the bazaar; not any more.
The thing that attracts most people to the malls is the variety. Take any product segment and you will have so many different products that it is easy to lose count. Not just that, the malls keep adding new product segments as well. So, every time you visit, just the number of product segments and products on display within each segment is captivating enough- forget the lower MRPs, discounts and schemes! Now, I am not an impulsive buyer and most times, when I buy, I decide beforehand what I want. So it is only a question of going to the mall and getting it. Even though, I like strolling through the mall just to look at what all it offers and I think in that, lies the reason for the success of the malls.
They shout on top of their voice that it is a buyer’s market. They are open for all and they emphasize that the customer is the king. With the kind of choices they offer, they put the customer in a very pleasant dilemma. They aren’t bothered if the customer’s decision-making has become more time-consuming; they rather revel in the fact that with so much of choice, they have made the customer think hard before she buys. And for people like me, they have even made window-shopping so much more interesting!
They are all about choices and that’s what makes them so compelling!
Interestingly, freedom takes on different meanings as we progress. For us Indians, if in the 20th Century, it meant the ‘freedom to be’; in the 21st, it is going to mean ‘freedom to choose’ [or the ‘freedom to window shop’:-)]!
And lately, since India has become such an attractive place to sell, the average Indian customer can only expect more and more choices going forward!
This independence day, let us wish all the sellers more freedom to sell. As for us customers, we have always felt free to be pampered!
posted by Leziblogger at 5:32 AM
3 Comments:
Ha Ha.. nice post. Very apt.
Happy Independence Day !!
Yes, very nice post.
I could perhaps add another reason. Traditionally, going to the market (with or without shopping for anything) has been a recreational activity for people who cannot afford to indulge in more expensive entertainment. Earlier, the extremities of weather could deter one from roaming in the open market, but one can escape the heat, cold and dust inside the malls, have comfortable seats when they are tired, and of course, also shop for things, different varieties and ranges available under one roof.
Malls are distinctively unattractive.. despite all brands under one roof along with all razzmatazz. I would still enjoy a sarojini nagar market or a lajpat nagar.. but I dont know if there is any market like that in Mumbai tho..
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