May 28, 2008 02:19 PM
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(Updated Jul 30, 2010 03:01 PM)
The first time I ever had the opportunity to visit a shopping Mall was in Bangkok in the early nineties. How I ever reached Bangkok is
itself a long story and even though I am tempted to tell you that first, I will probably post it as a separate diary. In a nutshell, on my return from a business visit to Singapore, I had got a confirmation on the Singapore – Bangkok sector, but not the Bangkok- New Delhi sector. But somehow I had got so sick of the regimental Singapore culture that I became foolhardy enough to travel this sector without onward reservations. With the result that I got stuck up at Bangkok airport with very limited foreig
Baroda Central/Food Bazaar - Baroda
n exchange. And those were the days when none of our credit cards or currency used to work abroad. With great difficulty, I somehow reached the office of an old friend of mine, and he took me home and arranged for the confirmations on the return flight, albeit after 4 days. It was during these four days that he took it upon himself to show me around Bangkok and I went shopping with him one day in a mall. What I saw there was nothing like I had ever seen before and surely like nothing that was available in India. The massive Malls truly amazed me.
Today we have no dearth of malls in India. Be it Mumbai, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, there’s mall a plenty everywhere. So much so that in a small sleepy industrial town of Baddi, where there is no proper market also and shops are just in make shift shacks; roads all broken up, shanty houses, but what’s getting constructed there in this real estate boom – you guessed it right a huge Mall. A visitor recently came to see me from Chandigarh in connection with business and what does he tell me. On the GT road between Delhi and Chandigarh, in the middle of nowhere, with not even a small city for 40 km on either side, where one could barely even expect a decent dhaba, what has come up – right again, a Mall!
So how could our very own Vadodara be far behind? The first mall opened here a couple of years ago and since then became the second most happening place in Vadodara, second only to INOX.
The Mall
The Mall has several items in the categories of clothes, jewellery, cosmetics, accessories, shoes, electronics, luggage, gift items and toys, and also household goods. The complex is on the main road but there’s plenty of parking space available. Once you are in the underground parking, the guards will also guide you to a proper place. There are elevators right across on the basement level so you wont have to walk up for entering the mall. The parking used to be free earlier, but ever since Spencer’s opened shop in the vicinity, Central has started levying an Rs 20 parking fee. Not too much I would say and it also becomes better when you can redeem the charges for anything purchased in the complex.
The mall has four floors, ground plus three. On the ground floor are accessories for women, some women ethnic clothes, cosmetics, jewellery, sunglasses and watches.
The first floor has all men’s clothes and shoes. Every good brand that one can think of today is available here. Louis Phillip, Van Hussein, Allen Solly, Peter England, Dockers, Hush Puppies, Lee Cooper, Woodlands et all.
The Second Floor is for the women’s formals of brands like Wills Life Style, AllenSolly etc.
On the top floor are the electronics and electrical household items like, TV sets, Refrigerators, Washing Machines, Luggage Toys and Music etc. In addition there is the food Bazaar here for your entire household rations.
The description of Vadodara Central will not be complete till I describe their food court. This is typical in all the Central malls anywhere in the country. They have a wide variety of food types available here. Starting from Punjabi tandoori to Chinese, to Sandwiches, to chat papari and ice creams and beverages. The rates though not very low but can still be considered reasonable.
The Services
The handling of the customers I feel is rather professional. There is not too much rush here at least on the normal days, so billing and delivery does not take too much time and is not a hassle. In case of any exchange they are usually very accommodative. They even have a fitting and alteration section where you can get the minor alterations in the clothes that you buy, done. So if you’ve bought a pant that is too long and want to get it altered it usually will not take more than about half an hour to do so. Even if you have purchased something on an earlier occasion and bring it for an alteration, there will be no issue specially if you have retained the original bill and bring it along.
I will tell you one secret here. So good is there alteration section that on a couple of occasions, I have even had my Levis Strauss jeans altered from here, which I had purchased from somewhere else!
The Peripherals
In addition they also have sales a couple of times during the year when the discounts are very good. But you can surely expect some rush during such times. I have even got a 25% discount on Hush Puppies here, which even Bata themselves have never offered in any of their sales. Plus they organize entertainment type of programmes or games within the mall several times ranging from getting the recipe right for the ladies to singing competitions for kids etc.
Recently they have added the bungee jumping and some other small games for kids at the entrance and also added options of boiled corns, pop corns etc just outside the main gate.
The Summation
I think for ones clothes and electronics shopping this is one of the best places in Vadodara. One can try all brands at one place and the variety is massive. For example if you want to buy a pant you can get all possible brands under one roof rather going from shop to shop in the market. Spoons, the food court always makes the outing a complete experience.
