I have a huge waiting list of brands

DLF Promenade is providing a retail space for hundreds of brands. The mall has just completed a glorious journey of five years. In a candid conversation, Dinaz Madhukar, Sr. Vice President, DL Promenade, highlights the journey.

How is your journey so far?

So far so good! The mall was started in the era of economic gloom. The mall began its operations in January 2009 when the world was just coming out of recession. From then, we have witnessed an incredible journey. Today, I have a long list of brands looking to open their stores here, but I don’t have space for them.

Last five year has proved to be very crucial in terms of retail movement. Many brands have come and gone. How has it affected your footfall? Are retailers happy?

On an average, footfall has increased. There can be certain months when you see a dip. But overall, year on year basis, it has increased increase for sure. Retailers are extremely comfortable in this environment. We interact with retailers when they have to renew their leases, and every year, the demand for space is just increasing.

End of Season Sale is just got over. How was the response this time?

It was better than last year. Last year it was not  as buoyant as I wanted to be. There was huge turnround for the EOSS related registrations and  offers. Because we are in revenue sharing with brands; hence, I can say this year we closed quite good.

For which category did you see maximum rush this season?

Purchases have always been attached to apparel and accessories brands. Fusion bags and clothes are always the flavor of the season. Moreover, beauty never goes on sell still it does well. Products, which can offer impulsive buying, are always in demand.

Which new brands we would see in DLF Promenade in next two-three months?

This month you are going to see Sephora and Forever21 opening their outlets here.

Are you happy with current leasing of mall?

I have huge waiting list for brands looking to open their stores at Promenade. Sometimes, I feel bad as I cannot accommodate them all. Some of really good brands are looking to enter here. Recently, we have completely redone our F&B wing.

What are your strategies to enhance customer experience within mall?

The mall is entertainment destination to spend easy time. We, time and again, come up with activities to make the atmosphere alive. For example, I know summer is coming, and there will be rush of kids. So I have to do summer carnival. It is not just about customer experience, but also footfall.

Do you think malls can ever affect local market because of their size and offerings?

I totally disagree! Let’s take an example, when a new restaurant opens its nearby food outlets starts getting affected. But, very soon people go back to their comfort level. But, it certainly helps in improving the standards. Malls and markets are two separate entities and nobody is going to die for sure.