Shoppers Stop – Mecca of Shopping Malls and a Heavenly Experience

A human being is by nature a social animal and always feels the urge to do something to keep the devil in the mind active. This activeness should be an ideal one and not harmful. As such one should always be engaged in some activity or another and having hobbies is one such. What are your hobbies? Pat comes back the reply listening to music, cooking, dancing, Hmm…a pause follows as one delves deep into the temple of thoughts to come up with another hobby. Someone bellows in clear tones – Shopping. Oh! Yeah shopping yeah shopping is another hobby. What a hobby, simply enjoyable and exhilarating one.

However, has anyone given a thought as to what made this routine chore into a hobby and a wonderful one at that too. Just give it a little think and then thank your stars that you are lucky to have sampled the richness and fun of the same. The appropriate answer is and should be the heaven of shopping – Shoppers Stop. A class act, one never feels bored in this mall, so full of life and spirits it is and one can go back with a feeling of total satisfaction writ large on his or her face. And to add that spice to it come back for one and many more rounds of shopping.

Mana (as they say in Telugu-our) Hyderabad is blessed with this magnificent multi storied shopping mall at the heart of the city – Begumpet. Dark grey in appearance but not in spirits cause it is always young in life and spirits, this masterpiece of a monument has been a magnet for shoppers of all hues and age groups.

History

The year 1991 is a landmark in Indian history; it saw the arrival of a new India, a India whose dormant spirits was let loose and allowed to spawn new ideas and tastes. The baggage of choked and closed socialist ideology was on its last legs and well on its way to become a relic of history. Father time was gnawing; soon it became a blip and then simply nothing. The nation felt a sense of relief, the fetters was dismantled, freedom of choice, variety and quality leapt to the top of the pile. And purchasing power of the foreign starved consuming public came into the open. A whole new world of shopping experience was thrown open and leading the pack was who else but Shoppers Stop. It came at the right time at the right place and the right phase of new India.

The pioneers of the shopping mall K Raheja Corp of Companies started the trend of retail shopping; a swanky mall was first set up at Andheri, Mumbai in 1991. K Raheja Corp has been in the business field all along, 48 years in the area of construction, headquartered in the hub of India’s finance and commercial activities Mumbai. With their proper insight and intelligence they bought a new kind of shopping experience of international standards. A complete range of who’s is who of shopping items was thrown open to the customers. It was a kind of new experience, complete and in-depth range of items, shop-in-shop of international brands and top class customer service. Sure it was something new, remember it was 1991 and Indians were new to this kind of shopping, the same was gobbled up with relish. It was what one can call it a fresh whiff of air, the old staple staleness was thrown out and a new concept thrown in.

India is not just Mumbai, knowing this the pioneers of this mall let open the replicas in swanky Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Chennai and Pune. In Mumbai it opened in Bandra, Andheri and Chembur localities, one more recently in Kandivli. And everywhere it has been a blockbuster, a big one at that too. Occupying a huge chunk of 3,30,000 square feet of retail space and with a daily customer entry list of 20,000 to sample the over 150 brands of garments and other shopping accessories it has become a virtual one stop shop for all classes of customers. It was as they say the dawn of a new shopping age.

Shoppers stop won plaudits and awards galore, was awarded the “Most Admired Apparel Retailer” at the Images Fashion Awards 2000. It has also won that one big echo – simply great and fantastic – roar from the public. This in itself is the biggest of all awards, better than an iron case instrument called Cup or Award.

Caters to one and all

The strength of this mall comes from the core of shoppers who are in 16 to 40 years age group, families and young couples with monthly income crossing Rs 10,000/. This does not mean that babies and oldies do not find a place, they do but not in the core bracket.

Merchandise Range is Aplenty

A whole range of apparel and lifestyle goodies exist for one and all to make the task of shopping a complete job. The best of apparel brands like Arrow, Provogue, Scullers, Zodiac, Levi’s Colour Plus to world class cosmetic brands like Le Teint Ricci, Chamber, Lakme and so on is available. You name the known brand it is there in this mall, the lifestyle pattern of every shopper is met.

Being the pioneer, it added another feather to its cap when it introduced its own line of clothing in the segments of classic, value classic and value fashion. And they go by the names of LIFE, STOP, KASHISH and KARROT, available across different categories. These items bear the quality stamp and price assurance with guarantee stamp affixed on each and every bill.

The motto of the mall “We are responsible for the goods we sell” is implemented in letter and spirit. Rarely has one been disappointed.

Events and Promotions

Shopping, shopping and simply shopping can be just boring and too monotonous, stacks of goodies packed in the alluring packet and then off you go, just dreary stuff this. Doesn’t sound like a routine Hindi pot-boiler? There should be some masala (a famous word in Hindi, appropriately used here) dose to give that extra jerk and jolt to the baby in each shopper’s heart. Shoppers Stop does just that and does so with style and panache, keeping the clock ticking throughout the year. Innovative and attractive events like 101 day Seven Wonders of the World Festival, Great Store Robbery, the Surprise Sale, Salon Streets, Men in Vogue, Campus Stoppers, Parikrama, Valentine Promotion and so on, all fancy names to suit the appropriate occasion.

The buzz keeps humming throughout the year, lively and exciting events to get that child within each shopper come alive. And add colour and dash to the occasion. So thoughtful isn’t it and the shopping chore just gets better and better each time one steps into this mall.

Information Technology is the key

Everyone, even a baby before its birth into this world, knows that information technology holds the key to slick and neat work in this fast paced world. The days of hunching, before the desk and licking the fingers to get the numbers is well and truly over. Instead numbers are, crunched by electronic gadgets and making the same work is software coding.

Shoppers stop has adopted the mantra of information technology from its inception itself, 1991. It was among the first entities to adopt the technique of scanners and barcodes and then total computerisation of the mall activities.

It runs its operations with a retail ERP well integrated with Oracle Financials and the Arthur Planning System, the best retail planning system in the world. This adoption has helped the mall to replicate stores, open new stores faster and get the latest info on both shoppers and merchandise at fingertips. The retail giant is also in the process of adoption of WAN system to link up all units and distribution centres to get the work going at a smooth pace.

International Affiliation

Going Global is the key in today’s world and to have a global affiliation tag makes it all the more better and sweeter. It is the first and only retailer from India to become a member of the prestigious Intercontinental Group of Companies (IGDS). This group comprises 29 experienced retailers from all over the world, including retail luminaries like Shanghai No 1 (China), Matahari (Indonesia), C K Tang (Singapore), Manor (Switzerland), Lamcy Plaza (Dubai), Selfridges (England) and so on.

Intelligent and Quality Management

To lead the chain of huge shopping malls across the nation is a daunting task. And the board that leads the same has got to have the skills, nerve and experience to do the same. Shoppers Stop has on its board persons with rich and diversified experience in the retail trade. And they come from the best of Indian and British companies. No wonder the shopping mall is so slick in its approach and attitude towards its outlined task.

Added Attractions for Customers

As already explained there should be some spice and colour to any chore, lest the same tends to get slackened and eventually dried up. Not one to let the same happen Shoppers Stop has a fine and brainy scheme called Shoppers’ Stop’s First Citizens’ Club (FCC). It is a loyalty, based programme, which offers its members to garner points and reap innumerable special benefits that come in its wake.

The scheme has in its bag to date around 2,10,000 members who comprise 50% of the mall turnover.

Supply Chain Management

Shoppers Stop knows the significance of distribution and logistics, which enables the supply of merchandise on the shop floors. Towards this end, Shoppers Stop has developed process manuals for each part of the logistics chain. These modules include vendor management, purchase order management, stock receiving systems, purchase verification and inventory build up, generation and fixing of price and store tags, despatch of stocks to the retail floor and forwarding of bills for payment.

The company has an effective off location warehouse and is in the process of streamlining its distribution centre layout.

A Peep into the Future

Dreams are big and global; the aim is to position itself as a global retailer. The other grandiose plans include bringing in the latest retail technology, retail practises and sales to the nation. The target is to cross the barrier of Rs 1,000 crores. Towards this end, plans are afoot to open 4 to 6 stores each year.

Sounds pretty formidable, but then the mall has always been a blaster, like the master of all master blasters Sir (king) Vivian Richards.

Other Details

The company is promoted by K Raheja Corp of Companies, which include Mr Chandra L Raheja, Mr Ravi C Raheja and Mr Neel C Raheja. Mr B S Nagesh is the Consumer Care Associate (Managing Director and CEO).

Corporate Office

“Infinity”, Plot No 504, Link Road, Malad West, Mumbai – 400064 Telephone: 022-8809898 Fax: 022-8808877

Web Site - http://www.shoppersstop.com

Outlets

Plot No 1-11/251/1, Begumpet, Hyderabad – 500016 (The outlet is 66,000 square feet) Telephone: 040-7761080-93 Fax: 040-7761108

Raheja Point, No 17/2, Ashok Nagar, Near Football Stadium, Opposite Sadath Court, Magrath Road, Bangalore – 560025. (The outlet is 32,000 square feet) Telephone: 080-5548224-7 Fax: 080-5548231

Gaurav Towers 2, Plot No 2, Indira Palace, Malaviya Nagar, Jaipur – 302017 (The outlet is 20,000 square feet) Telephone: 0141-552981/552979

KRM Centre, C/o Keyaram Hotels (P) Ltd, Survey No 2, Egmore Div., Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai – 600031 (The outlet is 43,000 square feet) Telephone: 044-8204852/8204853 Fax: 044-8204851

Ansal Plaza, Hudco Place, Andrew Ganj, Near South Extn, Khel Gaon, New Delhi – 110049 (The outlet is 50.000 square feet) Telephone: 011-6258866/6252061

Eternia “B” Mumbai Pune Highway, Opposite Thermax, Shivaji Nagar, Pune – 4110005 (The outlet is 40,000 square feet) Telephone: 020-4014959

Suburbia, Linking Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai – 400050 (The outlet is 30,000 square feet) Telephone: 6435424

Krushal Commercial Complex, M G Road, Near Chembur Station Flyover, Mumbai – 400089 (The outlet is 32,000 square feet) Telephone: 022-5275801-07 Fax: 022-5275808

211-D, S V Road, Andheri West, Mumbai – 400058 (The outlet is 45,000 square feet) Telephone: 022-6240451-4 Fax: 022-6207145

Shopping is a novel and enlightening experience plus fun filled in this wonderful entity called SHOPPERS STOP. It’s a must on every Hyderabadi and tourist-shopping itinerary. Never does a shopper get bugged or bored in SHOPPERS STOP. Enjoy while the going is good and reap the fruits, okay Ms Shopper.