Well, Emporio is not a mall with a dominating presence. With Promenade, another of south Delhi?s upscale malls on its right, it inadvertently has to share some of the glam quotient. And shortly, another mall will spring up on the Nelson Mandela Road on its left. That will be the fourth mall on that road?all standing next to each other with uncanny discipline, painting an optimistic picture of India?s booming retail industry. Just that the approach to the mall tells you that you are in Bharat, where prosperity and poverty are often neighbours. So, about a kilometre down the road is Vasant Vihar Coolie Camp, an illegal slum spread over an acre of land.
The well-heeled must ignore the odd man sleeping on the pavement nearby and enter the mall (Emporio, which claims to be Asia?s finest luxury destination with 74 international and 111 global brands) in pursuit of nothing but pure luxury. There is staff of four to promptly direct you to the parking. Of course, there are valet assistants as well (Rs 140, petty change for the rich). Looking at the cars parked in the basement, one would assume not many avail of the valet facility?most cars this reporter spotted on a cursory glance included Wagon R, Santro, etc. Of course, there was a glistening white Bentley too.
You know you are in a luxury mall when you see artwork even in the basement lobby, enough to keep you engaged while waiting for the lift to arrive. Also, when everyone right from the parking attendant to the lift assistant at any given opportunity blurt out ?Good evening ma?am?, ?Thank you ma?am?, ?This way ma?am??.And, of course, when you see luxe brands such as Jimmy Choo, Armani, Zegna, Versace, Cartier and more rubbing shoulders with each other. Given the stature of the brands, there are very few shoppers around. After all, how many people can afford a pair of stilettos worth Rs 60,000? Or a pen worth over a lakh of rupees? However, it?s difficult to make out who is a serious buyer and who?s just there to have a look at the windows? Most look like the nouveau rich. A family of four spent a good two hours in the mall, holding just two Archies paper bags. But yes, finally the lady in the family did buy a handbag from Versace.
Another wannabe luxe shopper is worth a mention. Her handbag still carried a creased tag of Hong Kong International Airport. This reporter spotted her at the Satya Paul showroom ?Ooh la la-ing, Oh! This is such a piece of art, This brocade work is fit for God.? Plenty of adjectives filled the air, all the while she was there. ?She would definitely buy something,? if you thought that you were wrong. Hours later, she was seen leaving the mall (in an auto rickshaw), and without a single shopping bag in hand!
However, that?s not to suggest there aren?t any serious buyers. You spot a handful of people with their buys (with or without guilt, that?s hard to tell). However, to make a kill with the discerning ones isn?t an easy job. It takes skill to know what is the perfect moment to invite the customer to take a seat and try that ?oh my god? watch. The Judith Leiber team, for instance, has been trained by the brand associates from NY. ?At Judith Leiber we are very particular and follow a ?no discount? policy, so we try and compensate our clients with small gifts like pillboxes, eyewear, perfumes and even gift vouchers redeemable against any purchase. Our recent gift has been personalised monogram credit card holders for our special clients,? says Sangeeta Assomull, CEO, Marigold Group. The shop attendant at Jimmy Choo also shared that ?they have a dedicated directory of their regular clients and know well the taste of each one of them and who likes what?.
After all, that?s a small demand the elite make on them.