Shopping Malls : A Journey through the History of Mall Revolution

Photos: Jinson Abraham  Illustration: Jithin Mohan

Maybe it is the mall experience that Keralites have enjoyed overseas that makes malls in Kerala a hot spot or maybe it is the curiosity to find what is these malls are all about. Whatever be the case,Kerala will be home to more than 50 shopping malls in the coming years.She can boast of having one of thefinest malls in the world. Clearly the coming years will be fruitful for the organized retail sector as mall shopping is becoming a culture for Malayalis.

Shopping malls can be anything which has one or more buildings that combines many shops that allows customers to walk right in through interconnecting walkways. The first shopping mall of India, Spencer Plaza was built in 1863–1864, by Charles Durant and J. W. Spencer in Anna Salai, Chennai. At that time the mall was one of the biggest shopping mall in South Asia. In 1983 the building was destroyed by a fire. The present Spencer Plaza was reconstructed at the same site with more than double the size of the original with 1 lakh square feet and was opened in 1991.The mall history of India takes us back to British Raj period. The first Departmental stores opened in Indian Subcontinent at 1895 by Spencer &Co Ltd. This was however different from the modern mall concept that you see today, which first appeared in the US during the 1950s, invented by the Australian born architect and American immigrant Victor Green.

The modern mall concept in India.

The modern mall concept in India was initially not a great success.Malls in India, which started in the 90s, like the Crossroads Mall,Mumbai, situated in the heart of the city and made parking for the shoppers at that time a nightmare as there was no proper parking facility.People found the concept of mall shopping a bit hard to digest. The spacing and sizing of the outlets were also not too shopper friendly.Today Indian malls have grown in both number and standard. By 2013,the number of malls in India was 570 and this year it is said to hit 750.Today mall developers are able to make shopping a much enjoyable shopping experience with better mall management. There is a wide variety of products one can purchase from a mall and also enjoy some entertainment facilities that they have. Most malls have a variety of food that you can enjoy in their food courts. It can be said that media and smart advertising has also helped change the perception of shopping malls amongst the consumers. These factors have somewhat helped malls become a success in India.

Shopping Malls of Kerala

Like everywhere else, the concept of malls in Kerala is no different as almost all of them have two or more anchor stores. Malls are where retail shopping is combined with entertainment. Malls offer a plethora of attractions—be it international brand products, food and beverages,entertainment quarter, everything in a mall is more glitzy and glamorous.People often go to malls for leisure time entertainment rather than need driven. Since there is a wide variety of products that vary in price and quality, malls are highly populated by both the middle class and the upper class. In Kerala the middle class is fast growing with higher discretionary income. Youngsters are willing to pay money for luxury and entertainment.This has helped in the growth of malls in Kerala

Impact of malls in Kerala

The retailing sector of Kerala which showed positive signs two years back is now taking a slight dip because of online shopping. But with the help of some innovative marketing, malls are expecting better business in coming years. After all, the whole concept of shopping has changed in terms of format and consumer buying behavior after the introduction of malls. Today people no longer rely on sources outside the state or country to purchase branded products of their liking. Malls have brought these brands to our state, Kerala.The rise of number of shopping malls is evidence of consumer behavior being favorable to the growing organized segment of the business.Modern retail has entered Kerala as seen in sprawling shopping centers,multi stored malls, entertainment and food courts. Due to these factors, the meaning of shopping has changed. People now don’t just purchase because there is a necessity for it. Hype has a lot to do with it also . Before malls made an impact on Kerala there has been very limited research on the shopping habits of consumers in Kerala. A need to understand their consuming pattern wasn’t required. But today retailers are keener in understanding and are looking to up the ante. A goodpercent of Keralites go abroad to work. As mentioned, luxury shopping was something they would do from there. But today malls in Kerala provides with almost everything that they could purchase from abroad. People no longer take the strain to purchase from outside the country and worry about paying the duty for it or the strenuous act of shipping it in. Retailers are now very focused on understanding the needs of Kerala consumers and plan accordingly. Malls have also increased the job opportunities in Kerala significantly.Kerala having the highest literacyrate in the country welcomes theseopportunities with open arms as theopportunities for youngsters whowished to work in their hometown have now increased.

Malls in Kerala

Hilite Mall

Hilite Mall, Calicut One of the largest shopping mall of India is situated in the city of Calicut, in the state of Kerala in southern India. The mall is located in Palazhi bypass junction on the National Highway 66(Oldnumbering NH 17) (NH 66) bypass where NH bypass meets Pottammal- Palazhi road. The shopping mall covers a total built-up area of over 1,000,000 square feet and it is being constructed as a part of the HiliteCity, an integrated township project from Hilite Builders. The mall has 200 plus branded retail outlets, 32 Escalators, 18 elevators,4 Travelators,8 screen Multiplex from Cinepolis,Food court, Gaming zone etc.

Lulu Mall

The Lulu Shopping Mall is the largest shopping mall in India, located in Edapally, Kochi, Kerala. It is built on an area of 3,900,000 sqft, with total area for mall alone at 1.7 million square feet and the remaining portion for a premium five-star hotel managed by JW Marriott Hotels.Opened on 10 March 2013, the mall consists of food courts, restaurants,family entertainment zones. They have 215 outlets in their mall. The mall has probably become the landmark of the city. The food court in the mall can seat 2500 people at a time. It has the largest ice skating rink in South India and even has a bank inside it. It is probably the best designed mall in t he country too.The anchor stores of the mall being,the Lulu Hypermarket, which is also one of the largest hypermarket in the country and the other anchor stores being Lulu Fashion Store,Lulu Connect, Lulu Celebrate, PVR Cinemas and Sparkys.

Oberon Mall

Oberon Mall is a shopping mall located in Kochi and the current second largest lifestyle mall in Kerala in operation. The mall opened formally on March 2. It is built on an area of 426,000 sqft across five floors of shops and office spaces and covering grounds of up to 6 acres. The mall is one of the busiest shopping avenues for the city. They have 8 anchor stores, food court,multiplex, game center and also has a wax museum that has 40 wax sculptures.

Mall of Joy

Mall of Joy is a 200,000 square feet Jewelry shopping mall that started in Thrissur, 21st April, 2014. This mall of international standards is a project by Joyalukas Group. Other than Jewelry outlets, there are stores of cosmetics &perfume, baby shop, cutlery and lifestyle products, silver jewelry, gift items and accessories, electronics and home appliances, footwear & Joyalukkas’ money exchange available in the mall.The anchor outlets of the mall are Joyalukkas Jewellery and Jolly Sillks.

Centre Square Mall

Centre Square Mall, Kochi is situated in the heart of the city, M.G. Road.The mall is spread across 5,00,000 square feet. The mall has many international brand outlets and has a game zone and food court. The parking space can facilitate 500 cars and 500 two wheelers at a time.

Bay Pride mall

Kochi’s Bay Pride mall is one of the top most shopping mall in Kerala.About 21000 square feet with two floors constructed on 97,000 sq ft. Bay Pride Mall is a project under Abad builders. The mall is facing the Arabian Sea and has a great view.The showrooms of national and international leading brands have a good mix in this mall and makes shopping a pleasant experience.There is a game zone, a music zone and also a food court in the mall.

Nucleus Mall

Nucleus Mall, Maradu, Kochi is a 140,000 sqft mall with retail space spread over 4 floors and 133,000sq.ft of office space spread over 6 floors. The mall is located in the developing suburban of Kochi, Maradu, near Thripunithura. It is India‘s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED)certified gold rated green mall.Along with many national and multinational brand stores, the mallhas symphony halls, a multiplex and food courts.

GoldSouk Grandé

Kochi’s Gold Souk Grandé,is a shopping mall which was formally opened in March 2011. With retail space of 620,000 sqft, was the largest mall Kerala until Lulu mall came.The mall is part of the Gold Soukchain of malls located all over thecountry and a brand of Gurgaonbased retail and property developer.The mall is the first shopping mall in South India to be themed with the concept of Wedding, catering to wedding shoppers. It is also the first to introduce the Gold Souk concept to South India. Kochi’s first Big Bazaar and Kerala’s first KFC outlet is in this mall.