Managing director of The Garuda Group, BG Uday and fashion entrepreneur
Veena Jain discuss mall culture, shopping and more over a quick chat...
Managing Director of The Garuda Group, BG Uday and fashion entrepreneur
Veena Jain discuss mall culture, shopping and more over a quick chat...
Veena Jain: It’s great to meet you. I’ve wanted to ask you a few questions and this seems to be an apt opportunity. You are one of the first few people in the city to start the mall culture. Had you imagined that it will be such a success?
BG Uday: You wouldn’t believe me if I said, I actually wanted to start an office building in this area way back in 2002. But my acquaintances suggested I set up a shopping centre. Considering the fact that the area lies in the heart of the city, I worked on the demographics of setting up a shopping centre and finally, Garuda Mall was set up in the year 2005.
V: Since you mentioned that it lies in the central area, there are a lot of important shopping locations like MG Road, Commercial Street and Brigade Road nearby. Do you think people prefer the malls over street shopping?
U: The problem with street shopping is the inconvenience that comes with it. You need to walk around to find your store. Add to that parking woes. But when it comes to a mall, you have everything under one roof — stores of all kinds, food and also entertainment. But mall culture is a different ball game altogether.
V: Oh, yes! Now that the city has seen several malls coming up, do you think the spending power of the people has increased?
U: Well, I’m not sure if it has increased, but it has definitely not gone down. No matter what the income is, everyone wants to look good. Even during the recession, shopping remained unaffected. That proves that the spending power of people has increased. So, tell me something about your store... I find the name of your store interesting...
V: I started One Stop Milano about two years back. Considering the fact that my daughter and I are huge shopaholics, we decided to start a one-stop place for party clothes, as one hardly finds an exclusive store for party wear in the city. Since Milan is considered to be the fashion capital, we chose to call it One Stop Milano! So, what will be the next big thing after malls?
U: Destination malls will be the next big thing! I think that would be a one-stop place for all forms of entertainment and shopping on a large scale!
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