Indian Shopping Malls and Retailing Industry

The glass and metal facade of the Sahara Mall in Gurgaon (Delhi NCR), looks as perfect emblem of Modern India. Emblazoned with light, banners, storyboards and billboards, the mall's glistening exterior seems to capture the exuberance of Indian Boom! Every day thousands from Delhi pour into malls at Gurgaon, which has turned from a village into a sprawling city in a few years, thanks largely to its malls. The City Centre Mall shows that with the right blend of good design, top brand names and a central location, malls can be successful in India.

Brands like Levis and McDonald clutter the interiors, teenagers in low-cut jeans hang out in groups, cappuccino is sold at kiosks, and everyone appears to be having a great time. Eager to cash in, Indian Real Estate Developers are in a frenzy: building thousands of malls country-wide. Delhi NCR is the epicenter of the boom. There's only one problem: How many of these malls will actually make money?

Fundamental problem facing malls in India is that a lot of people come to see them and to enjoy the a/c luxury, but not many spend money there. Most people just walk in and out without buying anything. Most Indians are hesitant about spending in malls because they think prices are higher and so the conversion rate - the %age of visitors who turn into shoppers is as low as 15-20% in malls.

Seems like real estate speculation is the major factor behind this mall-craze. We also doesn't have the infrastructure to support the new malls. The daily exodus of shoppers from Delhi to malls in Gurgaon is already creating traffic jams/delays on the roads. Plus there are significant electricity, pollution, groundwater, and environmental concerns. Hope the Delhi-Gurgaon Metro Service can bring in some relief.

Sitting in the food court on the top floor of the Mega Mall in Gurgaon, with a Pizza and Subway close at hand, it's easy to imagine you're in a city like New York or Sydney. True, more and more urban Indians are starting to buy at malls, yet it's only the larger malls that can survive to see the good times.

New malls in Bangalore are Brigade Metropolis, Brigade Gateway [Yeswanthpur], Forum Mall [Shantiniketan, Whitefield], G Corp Lido Centre [old Lido Theatre] in Ulsoor, Galaxy Embassy [old Galaxy Theatre] on Residency Road, Mantri House [Sarjapur Road], Ozone [Factory Outlet, Whitefield], Sigma Grand, Sobha Minerva [Minerva Mills], Tata Imperial [Old Imperial Theater] off Brigade Road, Poorva Mall on Old Madras Road, etc..

Some malls in Mumbai are Aap Ke Khatir Super Store [Andheri], Asiatic Departmental Store [Churchgate],
Bangera Departmental Store [Vile Parle], Big Bazaar (Lower Parel), Big Bazaar (Mulund), Crossroads [Haji Ali], Foodland [Juhu], Hyper City [Malad], Infinity Mall [Andheri], Inorbit Mall [Malad], etc.

Some malls in Gurgaon are MGF Metropolitan Mall Gurgaon, DLF City Centre Gurgaon, DLF Mega Mall Gurgaon, DLF Grand Mall Gurgaon, MGF Mega City Mall Gurgaon, MGF Plaza Mall Gurgaon, etc..

You can find or list upcoming malls and commercial space at http://www.realestatetimes.in/property/listings