…The mix of shopping & entertainment The favourite destination for the metropolitans is now changing. Be it seeking a common utility product, a branded pair of jeans, some leisure time in the cinema theatres or a general hangout arena, more urban crowd is being attracted towards the malls. What’s with all these malls that pull towards themselves the multitude of people?
- Several brands squeezed into one place
- Entertainment zones, shopping delights & of course food court
Upcoming in the line is a conversion of these malls into entertainment halls. Of course the usual movie screens & kid’s entertainment houses are in the frame, but that’s not what I’m talking about. The whole concept of “Shoppertainment” is whats changing the scene.
If it’s about being “Different” I have to steer the conversation towards The Dubai Mall. The Dubai Mall being developed by Emaar Properties, set to open on Oct 30, 2008, is going to create a new identity for itself. What’s in the plan?
400 HD LED Displays
300 Advertising Panels
Total area of 12 mn sq feet with internal floor area of 5.9 mn sq feet & 3.77 mn sq feet of gross leasable space
1200 retail outlets
120 food & beverage outlets
An aquarium featuring 33,000 aquatic animals
World’s largest indoor gold souk & ice rink
22 screen cineplex
So the next time you set foot in the city to explore it, undoubtedly this is going to be your certain stop. As is evident there is going to be a new reason to visit a mall now on : It’s a Tourist Attraction!
Coming closer home, malls in India are on the rise. The definition of the lifestyle in metros is set to change thanks to these malls. A family goes in to a mall for a weekend shopping trip; Mummy needs to refill her stock of groceries, Daddy needs to pick up a pair of new socks, the kids are getting bored so they are sent off to the “Scary House”. After a day long shopping, the kids decide to give their mom a respite from cooking dinner so they end up eating off one of the counters. And then the kids see the favourite movie of the season is up for screening next, so the family ends up for the show. Can you exactly assess how much of what’s been sold? Products, services… damn! You’ve sold an entire experience and that’s what’s going to bring them all back the next weekend.
The scene is set to evolve rapidly and with a new mall coming up every now and then you can expect to have something new and unique everytime.
So much for an outing in a day!
