Mumbai’s mall habit: The new face of ‘quality family time’

We are familiar with the adage, ‘A family that eats together, prays together, stays together. ’

There used to be a time when a family did all of the above — just what Sooraj Barjatya suggested in his films. However, not every father looks like Alok Nath. Not every mother behaves like Reema Lagoo. And not every son wears a cap which sports the word ‘Friend’. With nuclear families being more the norm than the exception, in Mumbai, not every khaandaan dines and spends time together like Barjatya’s gharaanas.

Simply put, a city with the reputation of being the commercial capital of India is obsessed with work on weekdays. Weekends, therefore, are the only windows for the city’s working professionals to devote quality time to their family members.

The show of affection, amongst urban citizens is a lavish one, and manifests itself through an indulgent round of shopping, dining and entertainment.

According to the Quality of Life survey conducted by DNA and AZ research, overall 40% of the city’s adults have a budget between Rs2,001-5,000 when they’re going out with family members.
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The numbers come as no surprise. Packing lunch boxes into picnic baskets like Little Red Riding Hood ceases to be Mumbai’s idea of eating out. Unlike cities like New York, Mumbai does not have a Central Park for a family to spend a leisurely day together, relaxing and doing nothing. The city’s hot and humid climate doesn’t allow this anyway. Moreover, with malls mushrooming at every nook and corner, retail therapy and family-time have become strange bedfellows.

Take the example of Paresh Panchmatiya, a Malabar Hill based businessman, who bonds with his family during weekends.
“In the morning, I drive my 12-year-old son to Priyadarshini Park, where he plays football. That’s followed by a scrumptious lunch on one weekend, shopping on another, or a movie. Sometimes we step out for dinner in the evening. I think on every weekend, I spend almost Rs5,000-7,000. Whenever we’re at home, we play games like scrabble.”

Chembur-based Heena Magoo’s family members are also time-starved on weekdays. “Everyone in my family has a full-time job and we rarely get to spend time together. So we always plan for weekends in advance.”

The Magoos usually go for a movie on a Saturday. On Sundays, the day starts late and it is followed by meeting relatives and friends and top it up with a meal at a restaurant. They end up spending about Rs2,500-3,000 in the process. Sometimes they even travel the length and breadth of the city to visit their favourite mall.

Youngsters in the city have begun to enjoy this routine, making merry with whatever the city has to offer. Twentyfive-year-old businessman Zaid Bagasrawala divides his time equally between family and friends. “I see to it that I spend Sunday with my family. I ensure that we have at least one meal together. Sometimes, we even go out to eat and visit relatives. If time permits, I go partying with my friends. So overall, I spend at least Rs6,000 over a weekend.”

Joy of sale
Retailers are making the most of this great weekend opportunity, by luring consumers with attractive discounts and successfully managing to convert  window shoppers to customers. Nirzar Jain, general manager, Oberoi Mall (Goregaon), says, “We have marketing activities planned for most weekends (inside the mall’s premises). Recently we celebrated Janmashtami — which included interactive and creative activities for kids, and a special Qawwali session for Eid. All these activities received a tremendous response from the customers and have been appreciated by all.”

He adds, “Customers like discounts and offers, and our end-of-season sale in August and January captures that need. What families look for is a destination that offers everything — fun, food, fashion and films.”

Malls are here to stay
For those seeking some relief from Mumbai’s mall mania, it is time to look at the fringes of the city.

As shopping becomes more experience driven than simply need driven, expect families to continue remain mall rats.

“The (organised retail environment’s) elements were not present earlier in traditional shopping areas. The growth in the Indian economy has also changed aspirations of customers, where they have started to expect a superior shopping experience which malls cater to,” says Nirzar Jain.