Mall culture

Frankly, I am a kind of a person who’ll prefer to spend a Sunday trekking in the nearby hill (It’s unfortunate that there are no hills at least in a 25km radius in Mumbai where I stay, but I don’t mind going a distance for what I really like)
rather than spending an entire day in a plush mall. That is why I was particularly annoyed when I was asked to give a speech on the subject. Shopper’s heaven, Brand paradise, whatever you call them, to me, malls mean nothing but a place to kill time. I mean, 90% of us would agree that in the non festive season, we enjoy ‘shopping’ at Fashion Street more than globus or westlife (unless there is an end of season sale).

Of course malls are the best places to go out with the family on holidays or to flaunt ‘amchi Mumbai’ to your guests coming from other towns. But other wise their existence is just as architectural masterworks. This is my opinion. But most people think otherwise. This is evident from the profit malls are managing to make.

So here are some excerpts of my speech.

Consumer satisfaction has been the revered key to profit maximization. But malls have gone one step beyond. With consumer delight being their success mantra. The common man is easily attracted to these escalating shrines of consumerism.

Malls have revolutionized our shopping experience. But here it is important to identify whether the mall culture is an exemplary of modernity or we are blindly aping the west. We cannot blindly ignore the problems mall have caused. Malls have swapped away the market of the small retailers outside. Where will the poor vendors go if the Ambanis and Birlas start selling vegetables?

Malls are emerging as a mega hit and the consumers are happy about it. So much so, that nobody seems to notice the unplanned expenditure by outing in such an enticing place. They enjoy the air condition comfort, the wide range of merchandise and one stop family entertainment area.

Malls are the shrines,
Consumer is their God.

So what, if He is a little bruised Almighty!

-KETKI