THE CHANAKYA: ANOTHER JEWEL IN THE CROWN
When real estate developer DLF set up India’s first luxury mall – DLF Emporio – back in 2008, the move was welcomed by luxury retailers, giving them the right space to open stores and the perfect clientele to cater to. The country was on the cusp of a retail revolution and DLF Luxury Retail drew a blueprint for an ecosystem that was conducive to both the luxury shopper and the retailer. “With the success of DLF Emporio, we have grown the luxury market not only in the country but are also a competing market in the Asia Pacific region,” says Dinaz Madhukar, Executive Vice President, DLF Luxury Retail and Hospitality.
Although the growth of luxury retail space has been slow, with luxury occupying just a fraction of retail space in India, developers are taking the category seriously. Keeping the growing luxury market in mind, which is set to grow to USD 30 billion from USD 23.8 billion by the year-end, DLF has launched yet another luxury offering mall in India – The Chanakya. Talking about the rationale behind opening another luxury destination, Madhukar says, “The opening of The Chanakya was a natural progression to further provide international brands an environment to enter the country. Our objective is to take this term beyond its largely singular, product-based definition to encompass experiences. From world-class food and beverage offerings to a state-of-the-art cinema, The Chanakya is as much for the pleasure-seeker as it is for a shopper.”
“With the increase in the millennial consumers, we have bridged the gap by introducing The Chanakya in the heart of Lutyens Delhi,” she adds. It offers the best of fashion, food and cinema all under one roof. With the right tenant mix, multiple options for food and entertainment, the concept of opening a boutique and contemporary luxury destination, The Chanakya, is already creating waves in Indian retail.
THE RIGHT POSITIONING
Madhukar has made sure that the positioning and offering is going to be different in both the malls as she doesn’t want to cannibalize into her own offering. DLF Emporio is a couture destination that targets the affluent and traditional luxury consumer with high-end international luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Cartier and ace couture designers like Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Shantanu and Nikhil, Gaurav Gupta, to name a few. On the other hand, The Chanakya is a boutique mall focusing on the new-age contemporary shopper with different set of international luxury brands like Hermes, Chanel, Rolex; bridge to luxury brands like Ted Baker, Thomas Pink; and Indian contemporary brands like NICOBAR, Anita Dongre Grassroot, amongst others. Also, there will be some new additions this year, including Ralph Lauren, Paro by Good Earth, AJSK Gulabo and Brunello Cucinelli.
ENGAGEMENT MATTERS
As a leader in India’s luxury industry, Madhukar has clearly understood that malls not only need to be a place where they sell products and services but engage with the customers on a personal level to create that connect through customization and bespoke experiences. “With The Chanakya, we have created a destination which has a mix of retail, entertainment, and food and beverage experiences that are curated for our consumers,” she says. The developer is also personalizing the rules of promotion. “The Chanakya is a contemporary luxury destination and hence we have ensured that the promotion strategy here needs to be bespoke and personalized keeping it synonymous with the idea behind curating a boutique mall. Since the opening of The Chanakya we have hosted various exclusive events for diplomats, bureaucrats and ambassadors to cater to our prime audience in Chanakyapuri. We have also hosted a dinner for the royal families of the country. The mall recently concluded our very own The Chanakya Festival and Womens Day Brunch in addition to the launch of our newest bar-NOI, in the city that has raised the bar,” she adds.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
Elaborating about it is important for their high-end clients to take back and cherish the right experience, Madhukar says, “We want our shoppers to step into an entertainment experiential centre where their smallest needs and comforts are taken care of. And there can be no better comfort than hands-free shopping! Having your bags carried to your car by a team of dedicated bell boys, specially designated restrooms for the differently-abled and wheelchair facilities, money exchange on call considering the large number of foreign visitors and expatriates visiting the space, travel and sightseeing information at the concierge, taxi on call, lost and found assistance, mobility services, baby feeding facilities, etc. are some of the services that we consider a must for all our malls.”
TOP FIVE FEATURES
1. Location: The Chanakya is located in a prime spot, surrounded by many embassies, a high net-worth residential zone and multiple five star hotels.
2. Tenant Mix: It houses iconic brands like Hermes and Rolex, as well as aspirational brands like Ted Baker, Thomas Pink, Diesel and Indian contemporary brands like Janavi, Nicobar, Paro and Shalimar by Goodearth, Anita Dongre Grassroot, Perona, Ranna Gill and Neeru Kumar.
3. Food: The Chanakya offers multiple food and beverage options with Café C and Restaurant-MKT. MKT is a one-of-its-kind food and retail experience – a multi-level luxury gourmet destination that houses a spectacular showcase of 17 succulent cuisines from across the world with live cooking theatres and an exclusive concept of ‘Wine on Tap’, introduced for the very first time in the country. It also offers food retail with the luxury edition of Foodhall in a unique format which is every epicurean’s paradise.
4. Entertainment: The third level of the mall houses PVR ECX. It offers a unique ‘enhanced cinema experience’ where the contemporary design blends with the best in cinema technology, providing 4K projection system, next-generation 3D-enabled screens with ultra HD picture quality and Dolby ATMOS surround-sound system in all auditoriums. The cinema also offers Quick Tix, PVR’s digital ticketing solution and an automated food and beverage kiosk called Quick Bites, wherein patrons’ can either pick up their order from the counter or get it served on their seat.
5. NOI: This is the first high-energy bar in the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi. It offers an excellent blend of fine spirits and irresistible bites. Here, rhythms, brews and international cuisines come together to elevate your experience like never before.
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