Mallpractices that can’t be condemned

They’re not there to shop. They’re not there to work. They’re just there. They ogle, loiter, fight with security guards and infest your friendly neighbourhood malls. They are the yummy mummies, the gawkers, the hip chicks, the dudes, the behenjis and even the occasional unemployed uncles. They’re the mall rats. Chelna Khatau and Shwetha Nair track down some of the more unusual and cooler of this species and make them spill their trade secrets

Mall rats by compulsion

What do you do if your place of work is smack dab in the middle of a bustling mall? Naturally, you take advantage of the easy access to all that shopping, yummy food, and entertainment. And that is exactly what Rohit and Sujata — radio jockeys at BIG 92.7FM — do when they are free.

The two spend at least 14 hours every day in the environs of Infiniti, one of Andheri’s most popular malls (the radio station is on the fourth floor), and are a part of that breed of young Indians who enjoy spending their free time inside malls — though in Rohit and Sujata’s case it is more out of compulsion than anything else.

Yet, they are not complaining. “It’s a lot of fun. Having a radio station in a mall is pretty funky. RJs need to socialise and interact with their audience, and this seems to be the best place to do it. Sometimes we even get ideas for our shows by watching people here,” says Rohit. He is slightly amused that most of the store owners know them by their first name — it is an occupational hazard.

“It is also the best place to catch up with friends or even check out hot men,” says Sujata. She once spotted Saif Ali Khan and his daughter hitting the shops.

Even the prospect of spending most of their time indoors, in an artificial environment, isn’t very off-putting. “We live in an artificial world. Even people are artificial, they have an image to maintain, and malls seem to feed that (need). Besides, it is fun watching the people who come here, especially the wannabes who come here to flex their muscles and look at girls,” says Rohit.

Though it is exciting spending so much time in a building dedicated to fun and pleasure — you get to browse though a favourite shop despite a demanding work schedule, or even have time to squeeze in a little last-minute shopping – there is a downside. “Generally, by the middle of the month I am ready to ask for a salary advance. It’s very difficult to save money,” says Sujata.

Rohit admits that at times he tends to equate visiting malls with “going to work”. “I’d love to go out on treks, but it’s difficult because of my work. And, since most online messaging services have been banned in office, spending time here is our only contact with the outside world,” he says.

The mall-hoppers

Pub-hopping is a common phenomenon in this city’s nightlife. And with the emergence of malls on almost every street corner, several Mumbaikars have taken to mall-hopping during the day.

Take Prachi Anandpara and Nikita Kothari for instance. The 22-year-old friends — Prachi a management trainee and Nikita an MBA student — have visited almost every mall in the city. “I’ve been to Inorbit, Nirmal Lifestyle, Atria, Crossroads, CR2, Centre One at Vashi, City Centre – almost all the malls here,” says Nikita, who can spend hours at these shopping complexes, “depending on the size of the mall”.

“Just last month, Prachi and I went to on a mammoth shopping trip. We started off at CR2, then went to City Centre and finally ended up at Phoenix,” she says. But such major excursions are a monthly affair.

But, what’s the attraction? “The atmosphere and the shops,” says Prachi, a self-confessed shopaholic who spends most of her weekends in malls. “Each new mall that comes up always brings in a new brand. They try to make it their USP, especially if there are two malls nearby competing for your attention. But malls are also a good place to just chill, we love hanging out there.”

Shopping, however, is not the only attraction. Curiosity plays a big role in attracting mall-hoppers. “I hear about places from my friends or cousins and then decide to visit them. Sometimes, Prachi and I even plan our trips to the suburbs in such a way that I can visit the malls there,” says Nikita.

In fact the two even planned a trip to Malad and Inorbit mall just to sample food at Nando’s – a British fast food chain – which has opened a stall in the food court. “I’ve eaten at Nando’s while I was studying in Manchester, and wanted to see what they’d put up over here,” says Prachi. For these mall-hopping rats, each new mall is paradise city.

Romeo mall rat

If love was a brew sold at the mall, then 21-year-old Dhaval Shah would surely be a chronic customer! But since it’s not, he window-shops with his friends in tow looking for the elusive “fast-moving product”.

And how — sauntering through aisles of clothes, making a beeline for the food courts, checking out the “most happening” outlets and finally not buying a single thing – Dhaval spends five hours, thrice a week at Nirmal Lifestyle in Mulund.

“It’s his persistence that’s helped him never make a purchase even if the best of sales are on. That’s what makes him the proverbial mall rat,” says friend Pooja Sethi. 

What sets him apart from the species is the company he keeps. With his gang of gal pals, it’s hard to miss Dhaval scouting the mall. This lanky engineering student pooh-poohs his Don Juan tag, but does admit that with girls as his guide he wouldn’t mind spending days on end at the mall.

“As long as our gang gets together to chill out, it really doesn’t matter who I’m hanging out with. In a jam-packed city like Mumbai, it’s more about finding a place where our gang (and that includes guys too!!) can meet,” says Dhaval.

So, catching up at the mall entails chatting over an array of desserts, guzzling down gossip with Chocolate Floats and passing comments while watching films at the in-house multiplex. The enclosed cricket pitch at the mall provides all the comic relief Dhaval and his gang could ask for with patrons getting hit by the ball perennially.

And while Dhaval would never shop at the mall, he’s more than willing to wait patiently for hours as his friends (read: girls) try out a zillion different outfits. “I’m a very adjusting sort,” he winks. 

B(rat) pack

He travels in packs, swears by the “mall-rat code” and can be summoned by just uttering the word “free”. Kiran Karkera is a sophisticated hybrid of this species who can zero in on all the freebies a mall has to offer. 

“It’s about beating the system! Instead of letting the brands lure me into buying stuff I don’t need, I get a kick out of finding deals where I don’t have to shell out a rupee,” says Kiran.

Inorbit Mall situated at Malad is this self-proclaimed freebie detective’s ground zero. Pointers on how to make the most without spending a penny include keeping an eye out for sales girls handing out product samples and walking past the cosmetics counter where perfume samples and even a makeover can be had for free. “When you spot someone handing goodies to passers by, be sure to stroll in their direction,” he says.

Being a hardcore foodie, Kiran is not just a regular at Inorbit’s several eateries but an authority of sorts on the cuisine on offer. But how can one get food for free? “Just march across to the specialty food stores… They are always trying to introduce some new product and want an initial customer feedback. For instance, if I was in the mood for ice cream, I’d sample almost all the flavours at Gelato for free,” he beams.

Also, going to the mall accompanied by a dozen or so friends helps, says Kiran. “Most often it’s just one person who wants to shop, but ten of us will tag along. It’s the sales person’s ultimate nightmare. We’ll try out clothes but not buy anything, occupy a seating reserved for twelve but order just one drink…” That’s the brat packs tribute to one of the most important rules in the mall-rat code: There’s power in numbers.