| Sector 17 Plaza is losing its charm to more convenient malls |
13th Jul 2013
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A view of the packed Elante mall | Photos: T.S. Bedi
handigarh features in the public domain as India's first planned city, with stunning architecture, a clean cityscape, green parks and open spaces. The Sector 17 shopping Plaza in the heart of the city had always been a popular go to for citizens. The space became a social and cultural hangout, more than just a shopping destination.
The burgeoning mall culture has surely brought in various changes in the urban settings of Indian cities. This change has significantly affected the existing shopping experience. The Sector 17 Plaza is also facing the heat of this change with the mega malls that have recently come up in Chandigarh.
Irrefutably this is a matter of concern, but the residents as well as the merchants have mixed reactions. Guardian20 spoke to a few of them.
Darpan Kapoor, co-founder, Kapsons Group, says, "Our company owns 18 showrooms in Elante and 22 showrooms in sector 17 and we have witnessed the change. The footfall decreased shockingly when Elante became functional around two months back. But now the market is back on track. I can say that it has recovered and there are various reasons for this change. Every new thing attracts people and Elante became a rage amongst customers. International brands, and the new experience, attracted crowds. But at the end of the day it's about convenience, be it hassle free parking, shopping or just roaming around. Sector 17 remains a favourite, as more than shopping, people appreciate personalised services and interaction with old store keepers."
For several decades, Sector 17 witnessed maximum number of people over weekends. People of all age groups and social status would come to enjoy evenings at the Plaza and with cultural programmes, street plays etc.
Preeti Verma, a PR professional from Chandigarh, says, "With the opening of Elante in Chandigarh, the city has taken a definitive step towards becoming a metro. This kind of mall culture was missing. Since all the brands under one roof, we find it convenient to shop for the entire family. No matter what the weather is one can spend the entire day at the mall, whereas shopping in sector 17 used to be difficult during scorching heat and rains. Also, over the past few years, the shopping plaza was losing its charm due to the exit of some major brands. These days customers look for comfort and convenience. So the mall culture is here to stay."
An empty Sector 17 Plaza
Niharika Gupta, an engineering student, says, "Sector 17 has its own charm of shopping. One relates to the city's culture of shopping which started with Sector 17 Plaza. For me and my friends, going to Sector 17 has always been a pleasurable experience as there's a lot to do besides shopping. In the malls, not all the brands are affordable and the eating joints are expensive as well. One has to loosen the purse strings extensively to shop in the malls. So when it comes to shopping, I prefer going to Sector 17 more often than the malls, which I visit only occasionally."
Vandana Verma, Teacher at SD School, Sector 24, says, "I can't really distinguish as to which one is more popular among customers but I visit Elante more often as it is more convenient and you get all the top as well as international brands under one roof. I also feel it is good to shop at a place which is centrally air conditioned and you don't have to feel the heat, literally. Yes, parking is a major problem on weekends due to which I sometimes change my mood and go to 17. Actually we visit 17 daily as it offers something new every time, in terms of events, but Elante offers just shopping and I suppose the charm of visiting it will gradually fade away."
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