The city of malls

The city of malls
The number of shopping malls coming up in the city is an indication that Bangalore is set to witness a new skyline, writes The Times of India


The charm of Bangalore only gets better with every passing day. Even while Bangaloreans cry for better infrastructure and an efficient traffic management system, they have something to cheer about and it's because of shopping malls. Dotted all round the city and peripheral areas, they are of international standards and stand tall for modern architecture and are redefining the city's skyline. Digest this: the city has in the last three years witnessed over 20 small and massive malls.

The last quarter saw a whopping 4.85 lakh sqft opened for leasing activity - Garuda (3 lakh sqft) on Magrath Road, Sigma Mall (1.20 lakh sqft) on Cunningham Road and the Prestige Eva (65,000 sqft) off Brigade Road. The city is also witnessing the construction, of probably the largest mall in the country - the Mantri Mall on Sarjapur Road that will have a total built-up area of 18 lakh sqft and is expected to be completed by end 2006.

It may be noted here that the city witnessed the concept of supermarkets taking off in the 1990s and the mall concept in 2000. Today, the mall concept, which took Europe by waves, has hit Bangalore after the National Capital Region which includes Delhi and Gurgaon and Mumbai in a big way. Industry sources reveal that by the end of 2006 around 25 lakh sqft of space for retailers will be up for transaction. However, they also say that pre-completion activity involving malls is so hectic that retailers are busy meeting big brand houses of international and national repute to close in on deals.

The benefit from this new development is mutual as it creates a win-win situation for both builders and consumers. Huge range of lifestyle products lined up across the mall of all brands under one roof has proved too convenient for the shoppers. Kids corner, cafeteria, beauty saloons, gaming zones are value-adds that encourage shoppers shop till they drop. Unlike erstwhile shopping centres, where compartmentalised shops lead to fatigue for the shoppers, the malls offer a new air of excitement as shopping is made a more pleasurable experience in these days of human race against time and deadlines.

While the last 10 years have been a crucial period for Bangalore's real estate sector, the demand and supply logistics have been quite in proportion with respect to housing. On the other hand, builders are exploring the market for malls and retail centres as the capital holdings in malls go a long way in asset creation, branding and realty holdings. Also, the imposing malls are now seen as signature buildings. On major plus factor fuelling this market is that these spaces come at a premium and retailers don't give a second thought to pitch their sales here.

The UB City's massive commercial entity right in the middle of the city is expected to add a new dimension to the cityscape. Sample this: Rolex, Gucci, Armani to mention a few will be housed here. Today, malls such as Forum, Bangalore Central, Garuda, Sigma and Poorva Pavilion give the city the look of a metropolis. However, what comes with these malls is the realisation that the city is ready for international brands, be it designer clothing, watches or leatherwear.

More to come
While architects are busy on designing more of them, work on 11 malls has started and racing against deadlines. G Corp Lido Centre (erstwhile Lido Theatre), Forum Mall (Shantiniketan, Whitefield), Ozone (Factory outlet, Whitefield), Brigade Metropolis, Brigade Gateway (Yeswanthpur), Mantri House (Sarjapur Road), Sobha Minerva (Minerva Mills), Sigma Grand, Tata Imperial (erstwhile Imperial Theatre), Galaxy Embassy (erstwhile Galaxy Theatre) and Poorva Mall (Old Madras Road) will be up in the coming year totalling approximately 25 lakh sqft.