Malls, Arcades The New Go-To Fun Retail Places in Gurugram

Ankit Kansal, Gurugram, December 20, 2024: Gurugram is home to almost 100 malls, or 16 per cent of malls in India. No wonder then that the Millenial City is also called the Mall Capital of India.

Besides malls, the city has an extensive footprint of shopping centres, SCOs, high streets, and other forms of modern retail. These are integral to Gurgaon’s fast paced lifestyle and its cosmopolitan ethos, which emphasizes eating out, shopping, and partying. The Millennial city is also a favourite spot for weekenders from Delhi and other parts of NCR, not to forget millions of tourists who come to NCR each year.

A Post-Pandemic Growth Story 

Just like other parts of India or the world, many believed that the pandemic would end an otherwise vibrant retail industry in Gurgaon. In the times of bare minimum physical interaction(s), online retail came to everyone’s rescue. Even after the lockdowns, physical retail continued to retreat. 

By the end of 2021, however, physical retail started making a strong comeback. Footfalls began to increase in malls, and by 2022, were almost back to pre-pandemic levels.

Malls and shopping centres are now more just a dignified space for retail transactions. They have become more about rendering enriched moments of leisure. They are now the new destinations of entertainment and meaningful social interaction. In this new wonderland, modern retail projects integrate business, commerce, entertainment, and recreational activities.

This is further backed by more spacious and contemporary stores that are invested in better technologies and digitization. New malls such as M3M IFC, London Street, The Mark, Gallexie-91, Metro Street 83, are redefining the contours of modern retail in Gurgaon.

As per our research, 4.7 million square feet of Grade-A retail stock will enter Gurgaon over the next five years. More than half of these will be focused on Golf Course Extension road. Other major hubs will be New Gurgaon and Dwarka Expressway.

Besides, multi storeyed retail, these projects are offering a gamut of services from spacious multicuisine food courts to gaming zones to fashion events.

Instagrammable Spaces

Many shopping spaces are coming up in the city, centred around well-planned themes, wellness, and infotainment. Special focus is given to make the spaces and layouts more Instagram and social media friendly. In the heart of the retail space, instgramable spaces are integrated with trendy designs and improved lighting. The aim is creating special spaces where visitors can take attractive pictures to share online.

Scents, sounds and designs, which were mostly overlooked in the past is now becoming essential. In the pre-pandemic era, much wouldn’t have been thought about the power of emotions and how it can give a buying boost. Nevertheless, this is changing now, as retailers now understand the central role of emotion in an overall buying lifecycle.

Meanwhile in existing malls also operators have spiked the investments on media, technology, design, and spatial arrangements to make the overall experience more engaging to increase footfalls and repeat buying. Mall operators are now spending heavily on geofencing, free WIFI and CRM services to not just improve engagement but also to leverage the power of customized targeting. To boost sales, it is important to keep a close eye on consumer behaviour and offer tailor-made targeting. 

The author is Managing Director 360 Realtors