As the shopping malls in Mumbai reopened on 5 August (Wednesday) after almost 4 months, the city witnessed torrential rains, leaving the brands and retailers in a state of panic.
Most outlets that opened included apparels, cosmetics, footwear and electronics, among others.
Sachin Dhanawade, COO – Retail and Real Estate, Grauer and Weil (India), shared that since the consumer behaviour and preferences have changed in the new normal, as now people step out of their homes only when it is absolutely necessary, they were expecting low footfalls.
People visiting the malls belonged to middle aged and young shoppers’ categories. Children and senior citizens, however, did not make it to the malls.
Sachin also stated that he is hopeful of the situation getting better, as people would gradually become more aware about the hygiene and safety measures taken by most retailers.
Anuj Arora, General Manager of Oberoi Mall, is also hopeful of enjoying greener days soon, “We are positive that we will see footfalls ramping up rapidly as there is high pent-up demand, and the festive season is also round the corner.”
Rajneesh Mahajan, CEO, Inorbit Mall, on his part, mentioned that now that the festive season is fast approaching, retailers have planned new collections.
He also highlighted that the Inorbit Mall “has introduced various innovative services like video call, home deliveries and curbside pickup.”
Infiniti Malls, however, didn’t start their business on Wednesday, as they needed some more time to prepare before reopening. The malls have reopened today (7 August).
Mumbai is home to 12 big malls, mostly located in the Mumbai suburbs, excluding Navi Mumbai and Thane.
