Shoppers make most of last day before South City hiatus

KOLKATA: Unlikely for a weekday, South City Mall witnessed a rush on Tuesday as the largest shopping destination in eastern India -the last day it remained open before it would shut for four months for renovation. People started trooping in since morning and by afternoon, the mall hosted a sea of people.
With huge discounts across most items, visitors wanted to grab whatever they could lay their hands on.However, the most crowded spots were the apparel and home décor stalls. The queue outside a home décor stall in the basement had to be managed with ropes. For Tamnay and Dipanwita Bhowmik, the mall is a part of their lives. “We have been shopping since the discounts were announced. On Tuesday , we did not have anything in particular to buy but we wanted to be there as it would be shut for few months,“ said Tanmay, a businessman. “In addition to being a shopping destination, it is a place to relax with friends. I go to the mall whenever I am upset and shop to soothe my nerves,“ said Dipanwita.
Dhaka resident Avisek Sinha, who happened to be in the city, did not miss out the mall on Tuesday. “South City Mall is a one-stop destination for entertainment, shopping and dining. I love this place,“ said Sinha.
Sumanta Sen, a Tollygunge resident, who had been to South City Mall in the afternoon said, “Luckily, I had gone to Spencers to pick up my monthly grocery. The crowd was mostly at stalls that offered clearing sales. But for a weekday afternoon, I had never seen such a huge crowd before.“
Anchor stores Spencers, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Inox will remain open along with Chili's, Café Mezzuna, Little Shop and a few other stores.