MALL AS A CULTURAL SPACE:

A MICRO ETHNOGRAPHY OF A

MA SOCIOLOGY

Table of Contents

Chapter No. Chapter Name Page No. 1. General Introduction 1-17

2. Review of literature 18-27

3. Methodology 28-32

4. Analysis and Interpretations 33-48

5. Conclusion and Findings 49-53

6. Bibliography 53-56

Abstract

This qualitative study intends to get an in-depth understanding of the subjective interpretations concerning shopping malls. Malls have been able to place a strong foot in . From just three malls in 2000, India has grown into a nation that harbours cities with huge number of malls.

Malls ended up changing the face of the retail industry which makes a considerable contribution to the GDP of India. Malls are relevant and significant not only due to the role they play in economic advancement of the nation; but at the same time the affect they have on the individuals. Malls comprise the life world of the urban population, and it has become their way of life. Even with the growing familiarity with the concept of malls, it carries different meanings for different individuals. These meanings form the root of this study.

The essence of this study is derived from the realising mall as an entity that has a subjective existence apart from the apparent material form. This subjective existence relies on the way varying individuals interact and engage in the cultural space provided by the mall. This cultural space and its interpretations from the perspectives of the individuals visiting/working in a mall is what this study entails.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Chapter I General Introduction We live in a network society and the world around us is getting smaller by day. The world is not only interconnected but the boundaries are fluid. The notion of development takes the form of economic growth or economic progress in this post-modern era. As a consequence of the intensified globalization which is deep rooted, the economy of India has been on a progressive path. According to the World Economic (WEF), India is one of the fastest-growing trillion- dollar economies in the world and ranks 6th with a nominal GDP of $2.61 trillion, on its way to become the 5th largest economy of the world.

The easement in the trade policies leading to the Indian market to be open and accessible for trade with the world was a result of the new economic policy or LPG (Liberalization, Privatisation and Globalization) introduced in the 1991. This initiated the path towards economic development that our nation has been on since then. India owns the title of the 6th largest economy of the world as a result economic progress, which is informed by the development and technological advancement in various sectors-such as the Information and Communications sector, Health Sector, Service Sector, Retail sector and so on. All of these sectors played a major role ceasing the India’s position in the race of fastest growing economies of the world.

The service sector or the tertiary sector is responsible for the largest chunk of the GDP pointing to economic growth. Out of the service sector, the Retail Industry has been one of the most dynamic and fast paced industries, it is also one of the most booming industries in India at present. The retailing in India has travelled through various phases. As per an article published on Aug, 2019 on Indiaretailing, “origins of retailing in India can be traced back to the emergence of kirana and mom & pop stores, but with Indian economy getting liberalized in

- 1 - early 1990s, many indigenous franchise stores propped up. Many domestic players like Raymond, Bombay Dyeing etc. started to forward integrate from manufacturing to retailing thereby catering to a larger base of customers.

In the backdrop of evolutionary times, retail outlets like Shoppers Stop, Planet M, Crosswords, Pantaloons etc. entered the market in the 1990s, followed by a few shopping malls, department stores and supermarkets. From early 90s to about 2005, shoots of organized retail started emerging in India. The year 2005 onwards, marked a phase of growth and stabilization where large corporates like Reliance, Aditya Birla, Godrej etc. entered and grew their retail business. Retail became the ‘buzzword’ and the industry to be in. A large number of International brands and retailers also entered India during this phase, many of them like Zara and H&M becoming extremely successful”.

According to IBEF (India Brand Equity Foundation) the retail industry accounts for over 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 8 per cent of the employment. India is the world’s fifth-largest global destination in the retail space. The retail industry carries a lot of weight when it comes to the economic growth of India. An article published on Aug, 2019 on Indiaretailing, points out the major factors contributing or driving the growth of the Indian retail market as,

 Burgeoning Millennial population and changing attitude towards spending,  Increasing women workforce,  Growing wallet share and price trade-off,  Changes in the policies of government favouring FDI,  Growth of market, growth of malls and the role technology has played in transforming the retail space as we know it.

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The retail industry grew drastically with the introduction of malls. The malls were the game changers of the retail industry and they ended up transforming the space of retail itself. The transition from traditional market places to the present experienced scenario has been very drastic. The idea of mall would not have come into existence without the need to make the traditional market place or in other words make shopping easier and more convenient. Mall is the manifestation of contemporary form of market place making the act of shopping easier. This foreign concept of mall was introduced in United States of America. The man who is universally credited to the title of father of shopping mall is Victor David Gruen. Gruen was an Austrian born American architect and his vision of mall was inspired by the environment of his hometown i.e. Vienna. He was used to the communal and interactive pedestrian environment of his native city, where sidewalks were lined with cafes and shops and he wanted to recreate this environment in the form of an enclosed shopping mall. He saw the suburbanization as something promoting social isolation rather than community. Gruen’s vision for mall went beyond the modernistic consumerist culture as he wanted to create an environment offering quality of life.

The Origin of the Concept of Mall in America

The idea or the concept of the mall emerged in 1920s, when J.C. Nicholas of Kansas City recognized the need to develop a shopping district away from the city. He ended up constructing the Country club Plaza which opened in 1922. Joining the drift of Country Club Plaza, the Highland Shopping Village in Dallas City, first planned shopping centre was opened in 1931. The stores were built in and under a single ownership. Moving forward, Sears Roebuck& Co. set up large, freestanding stores with on-site parking, away from the centers of big cities. Night time shopping was inaugurated at Town & Country Shopping Centre in Columbus, Ohio in 1944.

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It was during the period between 1950s and 1960s, that a mall befitting the definitions of the modern times and reflecting its attributes materialized itself, as a result of Gruen’s vision coming to life. The very first mall in America came into being on March 22, 1954, in the form of Northland Shopping Centre. The Northland Shopping Centre comprised of 110 stores in 1,192,000 sq. ft. on 2 levels. This centre was under open sky with smaller storefronts facing generous walkways and plazas; coupled with extensive landscaping and to top it all off it was surrounded by a vast parking lot. Gruen wanted to create an urban space within an urban space where people and come together and spend time. Later on, the Northland Shopping Centre added various other facilities to its basket such as food court and cinema. This design of Gruen however has influenced the architecture and design of the future shopping malls that followed the same. Although with this very first project that Gruen took over he had made a mark but it was the next project which he took on that actually marked the initiation of indoor or enclosed shopping malls, ergo crowning him the father of shopping malls. The opening of Southdale Centre in Edina, Minnesota on October 8, 1956 announced the birth of modern indoors shopping malls. The American mall reached its peak in 1992 with mega malls coming into picture. The first mega mall i.e. Mall of America, Minnesota had revolutionized the shopping experience, with 5.6 million Sq. ft. with over 500 stores, a theme park of 27 rides coupled with an aquarium, a wedding chapel and a movie theatre. Mall became an essential part of the American lifestyle resulting in growing significance of the same.

Emergence of Malls in India

The late 20th century marked the introduction of malls in India. The Mall in is the very first . It was originally built by British, but it was destroyed due to a fire accident in 1985. Later on it was rebuilt in 1987. This construction stands as a significant landmark in the city of

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Chennai. The Mall in and the in which started operating in 1999 comprises one of the very first malls in India. India had just three operational malls in 2000, moving forward by 2013 India had 570 operational malls (as per a Story Published in TOI in August, 08, 2013).This number is increasing at an accelerating rate since then. But even before the enclosed malls were constructed in India there were shopping centres and shopping complexes that were present fulfilling the purpose of a mall more or less. For instance, the Mumbai Crawford market (opened in 1869), Kolkata’s new market (1874), Delhi’s Connaught place (opened in 1931), New Delhi’s partially underground Palika Bazaar, the mini- malls of the late 1980 on ’s Brigade Road are noteworthy indeed. Out of the three early malls in India the Crossroads Mall of Mumbai stands in closer connection to the modern day malls. “Crossroads was planned and developed by the Piramal Group of Industries after renovating old pharmaceutical buildings into a new- style mall. It is a three-story construction dominated by retail, food, and entertainment. Notably, none of the pioneer malls has a multiplex as a tenant, which is in stark contrast with the present scenario. Wherein the Ansal Plaza mall was a joint venture a joint venture of Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (HUDCO—a government corporation) and Ansal group. Located in proximity of the posh locality of South Extension, it was the first retail project of this kind in North India. This is a three-story building complex divided into three wings (A, B, & C) and encloses an open-air amphitheatre.” (Singh & Bose, 2016, pp.361).

Growth of Malls in India Since the year 2000, the malls across India grew in number. The mall phenomenon did not start till 2005 in India and since then the growth rate of the malls have been drastic. The year 2007 witnessed the fastest rate of mall development i.e. 76% was the growth rate of mall developments in the year

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2007 (Singh & Bose, 2016). As per the data from Bangalore based ASIPAC consulting, number of malls in 2013 has doubled since 2008. And this rate is still on an increase. The reason for this spurge in the number of mall is due to many contributing factors. Such as, the demography of India plays a major role in the same, the urban population in India accounts for 25.73% (Census, 2011) of the total population and rate is expected to be increased in the coming years given. The growing rate of urbanization also adds to the same. The millennial population in India is comparatively high with money at their disposal, the middle class with increasing purchasing power, the percentage of working females and so on. The India market is diverse and vast befitting to the mall. The malls found their strong footing in mainly cities as it blends well with the life of the urban population rather than rural settings. The phenomenon of mall began in tier I metropolitan cities but now the malls have been part of tier II and tier II cities as well. At present the highest concentration of malls could be found in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and etc. Out of all these cities Delhi and Mumbai house the largest number of malls in India. Mumbai has multiple contributing reasons and attributes which makes it a city capable of housing one of the largest numbers of malls of our nation. Mumbai being the commercial capital of our nation is regarded as the wealthiest city. This city is also known as the entertainment capital as it is centre of the film industry producing 1000 films every year. Being a metropolitan city it is easier for the retail sector to grow, by now this city is so packed with malls that the smaller malls are facing competition form the bigger and better malls. The case of Delhi is similar to that of Mumbai. Malls are found in every nook and corner of the city. Delhi comprises of 97.50% (Census, 2011) of urban population, as well as this city is well connected with the metro services available at the disposal of the public. Delhi not only houses malls but is also famous for its shopping complexes and shopping bazars. The retail sector and its evolution had

- 6 - brought up Delhi and NCR into a new league and vice-versa. The oldest mall of Delhi i.e. Ansal Plaza, still stands although its business have been effected by the availability and accessibility of multiple malls across the city.

Malls in the context of Delhi With only one operational mall in 2000, Delhi has grown into a city that house one of the largest numbers of malls next to Mumbai. The city of Delhi is divided into various zones namely, Central Delhi, East Delhi, North Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, , Gurugram, Noida and NCR (National Capital Region). One of the extensive studies conducted on the India’s retail market was by Knight Frank under Retailers Association of India in 2015. As per this research, when the modern retail distribution was analyzed all 10 zones in Delhi showed its distinct nature. In case of NCR, 57% of the modern retail distribution is taken up by malls and the remaining 43% is occupied by shopping streets. The South and West Delhi zones shows a better balance, where the modern retail space is distributed among the malls and shopping streets. Around 48-49 % of modern retail space in South and West Delhi is concentrated in shopping streets like South Extension, Greater Kailash, Shahpur Jat, Sarojini Nagar Market, Defence Colony, Meherchand Market, Hauz Khas Village, Rajouri Garden Market and Janakpuri (ibid,118 ). The Central Delhi zone is almost entirely represented by shopping streets like Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk, Janpath and Karol Bagh. More than 90 per cent of the modern retail space in Ghaziabad and Faridabad are concentrated in malls. Favourable infrastructure and good customer experience have drawn modern retail formats to the malls in these zones. The modern retail space in case of Gurugram comprises of 22% of malls and remaining 78% of shopping streets. But Gurugram outranks other Indian cities with respect to the mall space, due to the 2,953 sq. ft. of mall space per 1,000 population. Gurugram is often referred as the 'City of Malls'. The East

- 7 - and Noida zones in Delhi shows that the modern retail space is occupied 29% and 27% respectively by malls and the remaining of the retail space is occupied by shopping streets. The modern retail space in Greater Noida zone in Delhi is divided almost equally between malls and shopping streets. This zone has 49% of mall space and 51% of shopping streets. Whereas, the North Delhi zone is occupied majorly my malls, i.e. mall accounts for 62% of the modern retails space and the remaining 38% is occupied by shopping streets. But when we look at the physical space occupied by a mall in sq. ft. Noida and South Delhi follow Gurugram, with 1,134 sq. ft. and 656 sq. ft. of mall space per 1,000 population respectively. East and North Delhi fall far below NCR's average of 536 sq. ft. of mall space per 1,000 population. Due to this fact, all the major malls are found to be concentrated in three zones of Delhi namely, Gurugram, Noida and South zone. The former paragraph paints a picture depicting the reality that malls have pushed their way through-out the city of Delhi. These malls are assorted in nature.Even though malls take up a major chunk of the modern retail space in Delhi, their nature in terms of quantity, construction & the land occupancy and status varies depending on the zone under consideration. The brand wise representations (i.e. foreign, national, regional and local brands) in the retail stores of the malls will help to illuminate the same. The West and South Delhi malls provide a dominating representation by foreign brands, which take up 38 to 51 per cent of their total retail space. The East and North Delhi, offers a situation where the national brands occupies 33% and 43% respectively of the total retail space, outnumbering the foreign, regional and local brands. Following the lead of East & North Delhi, Faridabad and Ghaziabad offers similar representation. The national brands govern the retails space taking up-to 51 % and 49% respectively. Greater Noida stands out where the regional brands run the show by occupying 45% of the retail space leaving 29% to foreign

- 8 - brands and 25% to national brands. In case of Gurugram and Noida, 40% & 46% of the retail space respectively is taken up by national brands (ibid, 121).

Mall and its different Types

“A Shopping Centre is a group of retail and other commercial establishments that is planned, developed, owned and managed as a single property, typically with on-site parking provided. The center's size and orientation are generally determined by the market characteristics of the trade area served by the center.” (Source: ICSC i.e. International Council for Shopping Center).In other words a mall is an enclosed climate-controlled construction that provides a space for activities like shopping, entertainment, dining and socializing under one convenient roof. A mall takes a better, modified and convenient form of a market place. The ICSC classifies mall or shopping centres into eight basic types. “These include community mall, neighbourhood mall, fashion mall, specialty mall, outlet mall, super-regional centre, and theme or festival centre.

Neighborhood Mall

As the name suggests this mall is designed to facilitate day-to-day shopping needs of consumers in their respective local area. Ergo, supermarkets would dominate half shops of these malls. Accompanying the anchor stores there would be stores offering sundries, snacks and personal services. A neighborhood mall is usually configured as a straight line band with no enclosed walkway or mall area.

Society Centre

A Society Centre classically offers a wider range of apparel and other light goods than the neighborhood malls. The anchor outlets in a Society Centre are supermarkets and discount department stores. Society mall tenants occasionally contain ‘off price’ shopping mall selling such items as apparel, home

- 9 - improvement/furnishings, toys, electronic and sporting goods. This centre is normally constructed as a strip line, straight line, L shape or U shape. Of the eight different types of mall society malls encompass the widest range of formats.

Regional Mall: A regional mall is a Shopping Mall which is designed to service a larger area than a conventional Shopping Mall. It is typically larger than 400,000 square feet to 800,000 square feet gross leasable area with at least two anchors and offers a wider selection of stores. A typical regional mall is usually enclosed with and inward orientation of the stores connected by a common walkway and parking surrounds the outside perimeter.

Super-regional Mall: This is a mall which is almost similar to a regional mall, but it is larger in size than a regional mall. It has more anchor stores, a deeper selection of Merchandise and draws from a larger population base. A super regional mall is a Shopping Mall with over 800,000 square feet (74000 2 m) of gross 302 leasable area and which serves as the dominant Shopping venue for the region in which it is located.

Fashion / Specialty Mall: A Mall composed mainly of fashionable apparel outlets, boutiques, designer’s outlets and craft outlets carrying selected fashion or unique products of high quality and price. These malls do not be anchored outlet, though sometimes restaurants or entertainment can provide the role of anchors. The physical design of the mall is very stylish, emphasizing a rich décor and high quality landscaping. These types of mall usually are found in trade areas where income level of customers must be high.

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Power mall: A mall consist by a number of large anchor outlets, including discount department stores, off-price stores, warehouse clubs or “category killers” i.e., stores that offer tremendous selection in a particular products category such as fashionable wearing, crafts, electronic products etc. This mall typically consists of several free standing unconnected anchor outlets and only a few small specialty tenants.

Theme/Festival Mall: These malls typically employ a unifying theme that is carried out by the individual shops in their architectural design and to an extent of their merchandise. The biggest appeal of these malls is to tourists customers they can be anchored by restaurants and entertainment facilities. These malls generally located in urban areas, tend to be adopted from older, sometimes historic buildings and heritage place of city can be part of mixed use projects.

Outlet mall: Usually located in rural area or occasionally in tourist locations, outlet centers consist mostly of manufacturer’s outlet stores selling their own brands at a discount. These malls are typically not having anchor outlet. A strip pattern is most common design of this type of mall, although some are enclosed malls and others can be arranged in a village cluster.”(ICSC)

The aforementioned classifications of the malls represent the categorization on the basis of their merchandise orientation, goods and services provided and their size (of the mall). But with the changing scenario pertaining to malls these categories may change. In case of India, outlet malls are often known as factory

- 11 - outlets, Brand factory comprises of one of the well-known factory outlets. A piece written in India Express (2016) talks about the the specialty mall that has worked in India which includes DLF Emporio, which offers many luxury retail brands under one roof. DLF Emporio is located in a cluster of malls that offer premium categories, and also serves as a bridge to luxury products. It is a unique luxury shopping destination which dovetails well with other nearby malls offering a more holistic shopping experience, such as DLF Promenade and Ambience mall. In case of them based malls in India, , Noida certainly worth the mention. This mega-mall began its operation in 2015 and its design was inspired by the malls based on ‘European Concept’ in Las Vegas and Maca. This mall adapted the architecture of Venice and presents a perfect blend of magic, mystery, and romance. It is spread across 3.2 million square feet. One can find a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and attractive Gondola Boat Rides on water canals built inside the mall (CurlyTales). There are many neighbourhood malls in India and depending on the neighbourhood the size and the status of the mall changes. Forum Mall in Bengaluru and , Delhi are two of the well- known neighbourhood malls.

In reality a mall could represent the hybrid form of different kinds of the same. The Select CITYWALK Mall mentioned is not only a neighbourhood mall but it is also a destination for the upscale population. In order to understand the nature of any mall, we must look into various aspects like its locale, the facilities and services it offers, target population, blend of brand it houses and ergo defining the status of the same. A mall is a place which is open to everyone without any discrimination, yet every individual feels differently about certain malls. For example DLF Emporio is a luxury fashion house which is not affordable to every class of people in the society. Even though this destination is open to everyone, it is mostly visited by upper class population and avoided by

- 12 - the rest. This scenario tells us that a mall is perceived differently by different individuals.

Statement of the Problem

From the inception of the concept of mall to the present extent of reach of mall into our society, it could be said that malls are here to stay. In the context of India, the mall boom started in the year 2000 and the rest is history. The journey of how malls grew was not without any hindrance. Despite the recession of the year 2007-08 and the advent of e-commerce business malls still have a strong footing in India.

The discourse that the malls have gone through in India has been in the direction of development and growth. Mall have undergone through changes not only in their quantity but in their nature as well. Malls are readily available at the disposal of the individual and accessible by means of transport (public & private). Given that so much time has passed since the inception of malls, what does mall symbolize to now? What meanings do the gazes of different individuals looking at it attach to malls?

Malls have been mostly associated with the activity of shopping. But within the bounds of the malls many activities takes place. It creates a space where shopping is just a mere transaction and not the sole reason for the visit. It provides a space for socialization, various kinds of entertainment, hobby cultivation, a popular place among teenagers and various kinds of gatherings and so on.

Mall is not just a mere material construction anymore, but it has taken the form of an entity. Apart from its physical form, mall has a subjective form as well. This subjective existence is the manifestation of different meanings attached by individuals. The space within the walls of the mall has transformed into a cultural space for the urban population to interact and engage. Even when the

- 13 - activity of mall visitation has become a common practice among the urbanites in all the metropolitan cities, each person undergoes through different experience. The variation in experience could arise from different individuals with varying purpose of visit, the status of the mall they choose to visit and the difference in social class of the individuals. The subjective meanings changes with respect to the individual visiting a certain mall. The space that any mall provides to interact and engage is the same but the differences in the gaze of the individuals decides what mall signifies to them. Ergo, depending on the varying people visiting the mall, the experiences varies along with the meaning they attach to the concept of the mall and that results variation in how they interpret mall as a culture. This interpretations of cultural space is what the researcher aims to find out.

Mall comes with the unavoidable climatic control feature, where a pseudo climate is maintained to ease the experience of shopping and other activities. When one enters a mall it’s as if they have entered a different kind of reality which stands in stark contrast to the reality lying outside the walls of these buildings, in a way it could be said that, malls represents a space where virtual reality is experienced. Even the décor of certain theme based malls gives a different taste of reality opposed to the actual reality. Even this fact plays a role in arriving at the subjective meaning surrounding a mall.

Mall carries a lot of weight not only in the advancement of retail industry but also in the lives of the urbanites as well. It has become the part of the life world of the urbanites as it represents their way of life. In order to capture the essence of the same, the researcher is intending to conduct a study where the mall is treated an entity in an attempt to understand its significance. In this study the researcher will try to understand how the mall has transformed into a cultural space for the urbanites facilitating interactions and other activities. This cultural space paves the way for the subjective existence of the mall. This study is an

- 14 - attempt to understand the meanings and varying interpretation derived from varying individuals visiting a mall.

This study will be taking place in the metropolitan city of Delhi. As mentioned in the general introduction section, this city has one of the richest representations of malls in quantity and quality. Keeping in tune with the questions under consideration, the researcher has selected Select CITYWALK Mall in Delhi to carry out this study. The Select CITYWALK Mall (SCW) is one of the most popular and the most visited mall in Delhi. This mall lies in the heart of South Delhi, housing the correct blend of Indian and International brands under one roof. Apart from shopping SCW mall offers Hangout zones for youth and toddlers, it also provides a space for family events and others. The design, architecture and décor of this mall attract individuals of different age and social class. Hence, this mall is apt for the researcher to conduct the intended study. The methodology chapter will explain the “how” part of this study.

Significance of the Study

Malls carry a considerable amount of weight to the GDP of India. Apart from revolutionizing the retail industry, malls have had a certain effect on the lifestyle of people as well. This study is significant as the researcher is looking into the subjective meaning attached to the concept of mall. A mall is considered as an entity which has a subjective form of existence apart from its physical material form. This understanding of the subjective meaning is achieved by looking through the eyes of the individuals visiting/working in a mall. Rather than considering the individuals visiting as mere consumers, their understanding and perception of the activities they do within a mall is what the researcher is trying to study. A mall offers the same space for all the individuals to interact and engage in various activities. This intangible space or cultural

- 15 - space created by the gathered individuals, have different understanding to different individuals. The researcher wants to get a grasp of these meanings and interpretations This study which will be taking place in the metropolitan city of Delhi will follow qualitative strategy by conducting a micro-ethnography of a shopping mall in Delhi. Going beyond the apparent meanings attached to the concept of the mall, the subjective meanings deriving from the eyes of the individuals visiting a mall is attempted. Mall comprises of a population that includes the visitors, people working within a mall, people conducting various events at a mall and so on. The intent of the researcher is to look through the eyes of these people and understand what mall means for them.

Limitations of the Study:

This study aims at understanding mall as a cultural space. In order to do that, the subjective meanings and interpretation attached to the concept of mall must be captured. Given the nature of the topic, this research follows a qualitative approach.

Although following this approach will render the in depth understanding of the topic under study, the findings and conclusions inferred from this study could not be generalized to a larger context. This study is context specific, in the sense that it would be able to paint a clear understanding of the reality within the space of Select CITYWALK mall, Delhi. The extent of the reach of the findings of the study is limited this mall, which stands as a limitation of this study.

At the same time, the pandemic which has affected our nation created a hindrance for conducting the study smoothly. There were many constrains as an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic that delimited the collection of data from the field. The researcher, being a resident of Delhi, used the knowledge gained

- 16 - from the living experience in Delhi. The malls in Delhi were shut down during the lockdown, but some essential stores in malls were open and functioning. The data collection for this study took place in two phases i.e. pre and post pandemic. The post COVID data collection was done mostly by conducting interviews over a phone call or email, maintain the social distancing norm.

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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Chapter II Review of literature The concept of Mall emerged in United States around 1922. When the idea of Mall was first introduced, it was envisioned as a community centre where people can get together for shopping, cultural activity and social interaction (Richard A. Feinberg and Jennifer Meoli (1991),"A Brief History of the Mall", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 18, eds. Rebecca H. Holman and Michael R. Solomon, Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 426-427). Although it was envisioned as a community centre, the Malls ended up redefining the retail industry and thus having a direct impact on the economic growth of a nation. Due to this very reason, malls are perceived as agents of capitalism.

Malls have paved a progressing path for capitalism by promoting consumerism. The ease at which various products were purchased and consumed and made available at a single place made the promotion of malls easier. Thus, from the time of the introduction of malls, it was seen as an entity that predominantly promoted economic activity. Although there are many activities taking place within the structure of a mall, it is still identified as an entity for maximizing economic transaction by drawing in more consumers. This focus on economic activity has overshadowed the other activities taking place within the mall. Due to this reason the malls are often understood in a singular manner. The nature of malls have undergone through a huge transformation and has evolved from the time of its invent. This research intends to shed light on the aspect of the mall that goes unseen while looking at it as an entity for economic transaction only.

The nature of mall has evolved over time. Mall is not just a mere construction facilitating shopping anymore, but it has transformed into a cultural space for the urban population. Visiting a mall has become a common practice among the

- 18 - urbanites in all the metropolitan cities. Each person visits a mall with a different purpose and undergoes an experience which is in tune with the reason of the visit. Depending on the varying people visiting the mall, the experiences varies along with the meaning they attach to the concept of the mall and that results variation in how they interpret mall as a culture.

This research intends to study how mall has transformed into a cultural space. In order to study the same the researcher will be conducting the study in the city of Delhi, one of the cities with most no. of malls all over India. The population of Delhi is mostly urban and for these urbanites living in Delhi, the mall is not just a mere construct. This study will be help to understand mall as an entity beyond economic activity. There is a sociology existing in the space of mall as well, this research will focus on that part more.

The topic of Mall has piqued the interest of many social scientists over time. By reviewing the literature, the standing understanding of the topic under study and the contributions made by various social scientists and researchers with respect to malls will be brought to light. This chapter will sheds light on the existing studies and research conducted.

A study conducted in 2010 by Khare and Rakesh titled Retailers in malls: Retailer’s preferences for store space in Indian malls points out two important implications through this work; “one is related to retailer’s choice for opening a store in the malls and second related to drawing consumers to visit the malls so as to increase the profitability of the malls. Below mentioned are the highlighted points of this study:

 “Retailer’s perceptions regarding productivity of the mall are significant in enticing them to open stores. Retailers expect the mall management to endow the malls with relevant cues in form of stores of branded apparel, cinema halls, dining area and recreational centers for drawing consumers

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to the malls. The absence of emotional or intangible elements in a shopping centre directly affects its performance. While planning the layout, design and ambience of malls, space should be allocated to variety of activities and stores, so that consumer has varied options at one place. Retailers were of the view that if consumers visited the mall for watching a fi lm or just for spending time, there is a probability that they would also shop. Thus, the retailer placed high relevance to the presence of Cineplex and anchor stores for pulling consumers to stores and increasing the footfall. Most retailers perceived entertainment as being foremost for increased consumer’s visits.  Retailers were of the view that if consumers visited the mall for watching a fi lm or just for spending time, there is a probability that they would also shop. Thus, the retailer placed high relevance to the presence of Cineplex and anchor stores for pulling consumers to stores and increasing the footfall. Most retailers perceived entertainment as being foremost for increased consumer’s visits. The shopping centres should thus transmit an image of providing parking facilities, easy accessibility, elevators, and clean ambience with lot of space for walking, spacious dining areas and recreational facilities. The mall managers should take steps to ensure that the malls communicate the appropriate image not only in the minds of the consumers but also the retailers. This would enable the malls battle against completion and also charge a high rent for store space from the retailers. Retailers are willing to pay a high rent for acquiring space in malls that are able to generate more consumer traffic.”(2010)

This quantitative research was carried out in a tightly controlled mall survey. The focus was retailers having outlets in malls in and around National Capital Region in India (comprising of cities of Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and the capital city of Delhi). Total 32 malls were covered and the sample size

- 20 - was 300 retailers. However, we were able to get only 224 complete questionnaires which could be used for the final analysis.

Where as to understand the behaviour of shoppers towards malls Prof. Rajagopal conducted a study titled “Growing shopping malls and behaviour of urban shoppers” published in Journal of Retail & Leisure Property (2009). This was a longitudinal study conducted in 14 shopping malls comprising 623 assorted stores located on the street Canal de Miramontes in the south of Mexico City. Given that it is a longitudinal study it was conducted between 2005 and 2008 during different festival periods broadly categorised as three seasons: April – June (spring sales following the occasions of Easter vacation, Mother ’ s day and Father ’ s day), July – August (summer sales) and November – January (winter sales following prolonged Christmas celebrations), when point-of-sale promotions were offered frequently by the selected retail stores located in large shopping mall. He reached at the following conclusion:

 “The perspectives of shopping mall ambience and shopping satisfaction effectively become a measure of retail performance, customer attraction and propensity to shop for urban shoppers. This tendency of shoppers demands change in the strategy of mall management and retailing by offering more recreational infrastructure, extended working hours, place for demonstrations and consumer education on the innovative and high-technology products and services.  This study discusses the impact of growing congestion of shopping malls in urban areas of Mexico on shopping convenience and shopping behaviour with regard to personality traits of shoppers affecting the preferences for shopping malls concerning store assortment, convenience, distance to malls, economic advantage and leisure facilities.

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 The results of the study reveal that the ambience of shopping malls and assortment of stores attracts higher customer traffic to the malls. However, an agglomeration of small retail stores around LS malls in a traditional style deviate consumers ’ shopping focus from stores inside the mall, as they obtain an ethnic ambience and economic gains in buying from small retailers.  It was found during this study that urban shoppers visit shopping malls as leisure centres to relax, spending long hours and tending to shop in response to various sales promotions used by different stores. The discussions in the study divulge that shopping arousal is largely driven by mall attractions, inter- personal influences, sales promotions and comparative gains among urban shoppers.  The major factors that affect shopping arousal among urban shoppers concern recreational facilities, location of the mall, ambience and store attractiveness with regard to products and services, brand value and price.”(Rajagopal, 2009)

Whereas Groeppel-Klein and Germelmann conducted a study titled 'Minding the Mall': Do We Remember What We See? This was an empirical study which took place in three different malls in Germany in 2003. Where "Mall A" is one of the most high-class malls in Germany, "Mall B" and "Mall C" represent a less prestigious type of city mall. The respondents of all ages, educational and income levels were interviewed. The aim of the three studies presented was to analyse the link between perceptual images and memory images of shopping malls. “The first study, carried out at the POS (point of sale) inside the mall, was based on findings from environmental psychology and supports the relevance of the 'information rate’ and 'easy orientation’ constructs for approach

- 22 - behaviour at the POS. For memory images as mental representations of shopping malls, 'vividness’ and 'order’ are the corresponding dimensions. Our second study shows that, outside the shopping mall, 'vividness’ is responsible for evaluation and planned behaviour towards the mall. Finally, the third study indicates that WOM (word-of-mouth) exerts a significant influence on the approach behaviour in concert with memory image. As expected, the WOM effect is somewhat weaker than the combined effect of the two dimensions of the memory image. However, WOM should not be neglected, since it exerts an influence even when consumers have a memory image on which they can rely exclusively. Thus, a positive WOM adds to the memory an image that consumers retain and leads, outside the POS, to approach behaviour of consumers towards the shopping mall” (Groeppel-Klein and Germelmann, 2003).

This next study is pertaining to Delhi titled “Study of Attitude of Delhi Shoppers towards Mall Shopping Experience” was conducted by Vashisht, Wadhwa and Uppal in 2014. This study was quantitative in nature and it followed survey methodology. While trying to understand the attitudes and behaviours of the Delhi shoppers, the researchers reached at following conclusions:

 “With the change in the living style of the people of Delhi it is observed that consumers prefer to buy from a place where the accessibility is higher and where they can buy everything under one roof. This has brought the concept of Malls.  Also with the opening of the super markets and hypermarkets in Malls consumers get variety of product at competitive prices. Consumers not only treat Malls as a place to shop but they treat it as a picnic place where can enjoy using the recreational facilities like multiplexes, gaming zones and can even go for Window Shopping. Facilities like Spa, Gyms, eating Joints are

- 23 -

all found in the Malls. All this adds on to their shopping Experience.  This research demonstrates that managers at a mall should take into account that their mall should offer services like Availability, Congeniality, Hygiene, Product Variety & quality and should offer an environment suitable for outings with friends & family. Malls should be more fashionable and offer more stylish products, as these factors are the most preferred by the respondents. The managers at the malls in Delhi should monitor the latest fashion trends and should update their inventories accordingly.  The managers should maintain the prices of goods on the basis of the location of the mall, for example, if the mall is located in a Porsche area like near Khan Market or Vasant Kunj, then the prices should be high and if the mall is located in areas like Gaziabad or Indirapuram, then the prices should be kept low, but these prices should be competitive with the local markets.”(2014)

Through the study titled “Shopping Malls: The Changing Face of Indian Retailing –An Empirical Study of Cities of Ludhiana and Chandigarh” conducted by Kaur on 2013 throws light on the important role the shopping malls play in changing nature of the India retail. This was a quantitative research with structured questionnaire having close ended and open-ended questions. Kaur reached at following conclusions,

 “The changing consumer moods, increasing purchasing power and more frequent visits of teenagers, entrepreneurs have developed new formats for providing merchandize and services ranging through the shopping malls. Keeping this, this research

- 24 -

has studied the shopping malls and tried to find the relationship between the shopper’s behaviour and various attributes of shopping malls that attracts them.  It was observed that there are big players are sharing the youth fashion pie, and have carved themselves as permanent stop providers for the customers. Whatever the clothing or style they want, whatever accessories to go over, being hip-hop, or just playing casual, good retailers will provide them all.  Shopping malls are in growth stage in these two cities of Punjab, this can be seen from the increasing competition. Under this condition, it is vital for shopping malls to differentiate themselves or else their customers can get attracted or captured by the newest shopping malls. However the participants of the survey wanted change and capturing them depends on being open to new trends, especially entertainment and merchandizing.”(2013).

This next study titled “Influence of mall attributes and demographics on Indian consumers mall involvement behavior: An exploratory study” was conducted by Khare in 2012. This study was a quantitative research using self-administered questionnaire administered through mall intercept survey technique. This study took place in five cities of India, viz. Delhi, Mysore, Kolkata, Ludhiana and Lucknow. Khare reached the following conclusions,

 “Classification of consumers according to household income, age, gender and education levels can help in planning the mall product and service assortments. Malls are viewed as places where people can spend time with their family and have access to entertainment and assortment of products.

- 25 -

 Income levels in India have been consistently rising in the past decade. Coupled with rising income levels, there is a significant increase in the middle-class segment and youth population. From the findings, household income is a significant predictor of mall involvement coupled with age and gender factors.  The ambience of the mall plays an important role in consumers’ involvement level. India has a humid and hot climate, and there is a major problem of poor electricity supply during summer months. The controlled temperature levels in malls are conducive for relaxation and socializing. For middle-class Indians, mall environment with a variety of shops and entertainment facilities are attractive places to spend time with family on holidays.”(2012).

As evident from the above listed studies that, the topic of mall has attracted the interest of many social scientists. There are many factors that come into play before a mall takes its final form. Everything about a mall is properly planned, even the stores that are part of it are there to draw the crowd in and get the desired profit. It could be seen that the attractions of these studies are mostly driven by the consumers and their behaviours visiting malls and the management aspect concerning mall. The understanding of consumer behaviours is given importance as it carries a direct weight on the mall functioning smoothly and also to make profit. Broadly speaking these studies some way or the other are accentuating the aspect of economy related to the mall. The people visiting the mall are considered as potential consumer.

The researcher wants to go beyond the apparent understandings concerning a mall and trying to look at mall from a different perspective. Rather than focussing on the physical and objective interpretations concerning a mall, the researcher wants to look at malls from the perspective of the individuals visiting

- 26 - the same. Does mall have and existence which is beyond its material form? If so, then what is it? How is it understood? Answering these questions is what this study will entail. A mall is more than space that accentuates economic interaction and activities. It represents a cultural space. A cultural space is a space or community which has its own culture. In the same sense a mall represents a kind of cultural space which is unique. This study, therefore, is attempting to understand and study the same.

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METHODOLOGY

Chapter III

Methodology

The research methodology is the systematic investigation conducted using specific techniques and procedures in order to understand and analyse the topic or matter under study. This systematic investigation comprises of collecting data pertaining to the study, assembling and processing same and finally interpreting it to answer the topic under study. In simple words it means the general orientation adopted to conduct a research. Depending on the kind of strategy or the approach adopted the nature of the research changes. Predominantly topic under study, the nature of reality under concern and how the researcher wants to approach this reality is what determines the research strategy.

This chapter will inform about the approach taken towards the research such as- the topic under study, the orientation of the research (i.e. ontological and epistemological bend), the general and specific question(s), the research design followed to conduct the research, data collection tools and techniques etc.

Title of the Study

Mall as a Cultural Space: Microethnography of a Shopping Mall

This research is aimed at in depth understanding and analysing the space within a Mall. A mall is not a mere construction facilitating shopping and other activities rather it offers a cultural space for the people. This cultural space that the mall creates is studied in depth from the perspectives of the people visiting the mall. This research takes place in Select CITYWALK mall (SCW), New Delhi, where the demography of the people is majorly urban and diverse at the same time.

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Epistemological & Ontological Position

The epistemological position answers the question as to what is (or should be) regarded as acceptable knowledge in a discipline. There are two major epistemological positions prevalent in social sciences i.e. positivism and interpretivism. Which position to take is determined by the topic/reality under study. This research is aimed at understanding mall as a cultural space from the eyes of the individuals visiting and working in the SCW mall. Ergo, this study would opt for the epistemological position of interpretivism. As interpretivism, studies the various interpretations of human action and human behaviour. The empathetic understanding towards human action takes importance and the meaning they attach to their actions.

The ontological position is concerned with the nature of the social entity or reality. The ontological position answers the question whether social entity can be or should be considered objective or subjective entities. In case of this research the mall is studies as an entity where the subjective interpretations attached by the individuals visiting/working a mall are taken into account. Ergo, the ontological position if subjectivism is adopted.

In the light of the epistemological and ontological position adopted to match the tone of topic under study, this research will adopt a qualitative approach. The subjective meaning and the interpretations attached by the respondents takes importance along with the observations emerging from the field.

Research Design

The research design provides a blueprint which facilitates the implementation of the research. The research methodology informs the approach or strategy embraced to study the topic/ reality under concern. In the light of the assumed

- 29 - research methodology, the research design then selected works out a plan to conduct the research. In other words the manifestation of the assumed research methodology takes the form of research design.

Given the topic of this study, the most suited design to follow is micro- ethnography. A micro-ethnography will help the researcher to grab the complete picture of the reality. By conducting a micro-ethnography the respondents and their behaviours could be observed and a deep understanding could be gained. The space within the SCW mall and the various people gathered there, how the mall operates, the intensity and the diversity of the crowd gathered, the various interactions and activities people are engaged in and so on could be studies and observed. The researcher being in the field as a part of micro-ethnography would be able to experience the intangible cultural space from the eyes of the respondents, which will help to paint the whole picture of the reality.

Method of study

The methods opted for this study was mainly observation and unstructured interview. Observations played a huge role in analysing how different people interact and engage in different activities within the space of the mall. The unstructured interview(s) helped the researcher to understand the perspective of people (visiting mall+ working in mall) regarding mall as an entity.

Tools

The tools used for a research is informed by the selected research design which will help the researcher to collect data. In order to keep in tune with micro- ethnography the tools used in case of this research are observation guide and interview guide. As the interpretations and meanings of the respondents takes importance, interview guide as a tool will keep the flow of the interactions unhindered by giving the respondents express their views properly. Observation

- 30 - guide will on the other hand help the researcher to observe the day to day activities within the SCW mall, the interactions and other activities taking place.

Research Questions

In case of a qualitative study, the research questions comprise of a general research question and several specific research questions. The general research question in framed in a way that captures the entire essence of the research, as to what the researcher is ought to find out. The general question could be thought as a flashlight that guides the researcher through the filed.

Under the scope of the general question reside the specific questions. The specific questions are framed in a way to arrive at a better understanding of the general question, in that sense answering the very topic of our study.

For the urban population of Delhi a mall is place which is very familiar to them. It is where they engage in various activities such as shopping, meeting with friends and relatives and other entertainment activities. But is that all a mall represents? Is it just a concrete structure built to entertain, engage and shop? The question the researcher is pondering over throws a new light on the understanding of the mall. A mall represents something beyond the obvious and apparent ways in which it is perceived. From the time of the inception of the mall to the present state, has the familiarity of the mall to the Delhi urbanites given them similar understanding of the mall? If not, does the cultural space that the mall creates, subjects different individuals to difference experiences. The researcher wants to get a better understanding of this cultural space and the subjective meanings it carries to the individual. The following questions will help to narrow down the study attempted by the researcher.

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General Research Question:

 How does Mall as a cultural space is perceived/interpreted by people visiting/working there?

Specific Research Questions:

 Does variation in age affects the interpretation of mall as a culture space?  Does the mall play any role in defining or transforming the self-identity of the individuals visiting there?  How is mall perceived through the eyes of the people working there? Does their interpretation vary from that of the people visiting?

Selection of Respondents

The respondents selected for this study should be tune with the research questions that the researcher is trying to find the answers to. The process of selection of the respondents for the study is called sampling. And given the nature of our research, the respondents are selected using purposive sampling. The purposive sampling will enable the researcher to select the respondents that will allow the research questions to be answered. While selecting the respondents the researcher made sure to select individuals of different age, gender and also to include the individuals working in the mall to get a better understating of the topic.

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ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Chapter IV Data Analysis and Interpretation

The city of Delhi is not only the Capital of India but it also constitutes one of the cities with largest number of malls in our nation. Delhi has approximately 246 numbers of malls (as per ixigo.com). This number accentuates the fact that malls are found in every nook and corner, in varying status and size, of the city of Delhi. The consumers play a deciding role in the location, construct, facilities and services available at any mall. But the very idea of mall is interpreted differently by different individuals visiting these malls. As per Delhi tourism, Ansal Plaza is the very first mall in Delhi opened to public in year of 1999. Since then the malls in Delhi have taken a discourse resulting in growth of the same in number, size and facilities. With 97.50% urban population in Delhi (Census, 2011) the malls have become an integrated part of the lives of the Delhi urbanites.

The discourse that the malls in Delhi have been on since 1999 is evolutionary and transformative. With the passage of time, this transformation is not only reflected in the physical construct of a mall along with the services & facilities it offers. But this transformation has taken place in the way urbanites of Delhi interpret and understand the very idea of mall. The concept of a mall is understood & perceived differently by different individuals. The researcher is aimed at understanding these interpretations attached to the concept of mall. In order to understand this, the researcher will have to analyse and interpret the subjective meaning attached to the concept of mall. Thus, keeping all these in mind the study has selected the Select CITYWALK (SCW) mall in Saket, New Delhi.

“The Select CITYWALK (SCW) mall is a 1.3 million sq. ft. air-conditioned, vibrant and upscale destination shopping centre. This is a part of an overall

- 33 - complex of 54 acres that comprises of three floors of office space, India’s first Six- Screen, two Gold Class and four Premier Class PVR Cinemas, and approx. 1 lakh sq. ft. of Serviced Apartments. It is centrepiece of 54-acre, well planned business district. It is an interesting hybrid of a European high street and an enclosed shopping mall, with a 240m facade overlooking a 100,000 square foot of outdoor plaza and 4-acre landscaped park” (Jha, 2019). This mall was officially inaugurated on October 12, 2007 by the former Lt. Governor of Delhi, His Excellence, and Mr Tejinder Khanna. Since then, Select CITYWALK has won over 120 awards from various organizations (Source: Select CITYWALK website). The planning of this mall had been done after conducting proper and thorough research. The needs and requirements of the varying group of individuals visiting the mall had driven the planning concept of this mall. This effort has been reflected in the architecture and construction of the SCW mall. The SCW mall has four zones which divides the entire mall space into following categories:

1. Family and Tradition Space 2. Celebration Space (centre stage) 3. High Voltage Space for Youth 4. Open Plaza/Landscaped Area (ground floor)

The space wise categorization of SCW mall reveals that 56% of the space is allocated to retail and rest is divided among multiplex, recreational space, hotel, office space etc. This mall is familiar to almost all the urban crowd in Delhi although this mall was built as a neighbourhood destination targeting South Delhi population such as Saket, Sainik Farms, Greater Kailash and Geetanjali.

The SCW mall stayed in business even during times when some of the malls in Delhi were turning to offices, shutting down or operating at half capacity. Mr Yogeshwar Sharma, former Chief Executive of Select CITYWALK, talks about

- 34 - the success of the mall in an article published in Economic Times, 2015. He said that some malls don’t do well because of inability to define the type of mall, lack of research on the areas from where the shoppers are likely to come from and selecting the wrong partners. Mr Sharma emphasized in the architecture of the mall and said “Mall works on impulse shopping, window shopping. So, the architecture should be such that the customers float with the design of the mall, like ours which is in L-shape; and that he should not take decision where to go after every 10 steps. Brands should also be arranged in an order to maintain the consistency of the mind.” The Select CITYWALK has the right mix of brands, starting from affordable luxury to high-end luxury. The third store of Chanel in India was opened in Select SITYWALK mall. This mix of brands churning together has resulted in people drawing in. The construction, locale, planning concept and space organization etc. behind the existence of Select CITYWALK (SCW) mall shows that how each and every detail had been handpicked perfectly to produce the desired result. This shows the perception of the concept of mall from the point of view of the management. They wanted the SCW mall to reflect the very lifestyle of the people. The researcher wishes to go beyond this perception and wants to understand the perspectives of the individuals visiting the mall.

The Select CITYWALK mall draws in people of different age groups. This fact will generate varying understanding concerning the idea of SCW mall, depending on the eyes through which the mall is looked at. The space created within the bounds of the mall by the diversified individuals visiting the same, can only be completely understood through their eyes. When the researcher visited the SCW mall it was observed that it comprises the kind of crowd that has people from every age. The atmosphere and the ambience of the SCW mall results in this kind of mix of people engaging in various activities. People could be shopping for clothes, groceries and other materials, enjoying the feel of high

- 35 - street shopping by walking past the shops. In the open plaza people could be seen sitting and taking, walking around scattered throughout the space. The food court which offers multiple cuisines also seems to be rather drawing in all kinds of crowd. The kids corner & entertainment section of the mall attracting youth and younger population. Depending on the day the SCW is visited the composition of people changes along with the number of people gathered. This shift is very apparent during the weekends, especially Friday night, when people gather to grab a drink or dine together, to watch a movie. The following days i.e. Saturdays and Sundays tends to have the same effect. The working population between the age group of 24-35 visits the mall during the weekend mostly engaging leisure & other activities. The grocery shopping is taken place during weekdays because of much less crowd gathered compared to weekend. The college going students tends to visit SCW mall often, but they prefer to visit mall during weekdays for watching movies. The staff working in the clothing shops of the mall informed that their busiest days out of the week are the weekends. During the festival season as well as the sale months people tend to visits more. The SCW mall celebrates every festival; the décor of the mall speaks for the same. Be it Diwali, Holi or Christmas etc. The SCW mall embraces all the festivals and some people just visit to witness these decorations.

One look at SCW mall can inform any observer, from the mix of people gathered there engaging themselves in various activities, only the apparent reality. To know or realise the reality transpiring within the space of the SCW mall, the subjective meaning attached by the individuals to the idea of mall needs to be understood. The people visiting the mall can help grasp the whole reality. The researcher received different interpretation depending on the age of the Individual. When asked, how the idea of mall is interpreted? Allen, 19 year old college going student residing in central Delhi, said he thinks mall as a place

- 36 - to shop. He had visited SCW mall multiple times he likes the ambience but he prefers visiting malls that re not so huge. On the other hand Divya, 31 Year old working women, thinks of mall as a place to shop, watch movies, eat and hang around with friends. It serves as a multi-purpose place basically. She has the habit of visiting mall on a monthly basis. She has visited SCW mall several times, she likes its décor and the variety of brands it offers along with the varied food cuisines. But to her the thing most important while visiting any mall is the intensity of the crowd. Her ideal mall is the one which offers all the facilities of any mall but less crowded. Jerin, 27 year old working man, sees mall as a place to meet people. He has visited SCW mall many times but when it comes to a mall in his own words the location matters like for instance a mall in south Delhi will be very different from a mall in east Delhi due the location factor. Even if we have all the outlets in common the ambience and experiences shall be very different. In Jerin’s understanding the location of the mall plays a major role in terms of experience. Arnab, 55 year old working man, said Select City Walk Mall, New Delhi. It's amazing and of international standard. Apart from wide range of collections of quality items/ products, lucrative offers from different famous brands are another area of attraction to visit this mall. The mall is also safe for women, and girl child. Arnab is the frequent visitor at SCW mall, he does his shopping there. For him any mall should be ideally and primarily, it should have a safe environment for women and girl child. For Vidita, 27 year old working women, a mall is a place to shop everything and have fun with family and friends. She prefers visiting malls in Gurugram over SCW mall as she fancies of ice skating. Given a choice, Vidita would rather visit a shopping complex as she likes the idea of complex better than that of a mall. But Mrs X, a housewife in her later 50’s, sees mall as place to escape from the daily boredom of her monotonous life. Mrs X loves going to mall for family dinner and shopping for groceries and other materials. She has a habit to visiting mall monthly; she feels excited and looks forward to the monthly visit. X has

- 37 - been to SCW mall but she prefers visiting a mall nearby her house. It could be seen how all these six people have different reasons to visit a mall and how mall is perceived by them differently. For some it is a place to shop while for others it’s a place to meet people and even an escape from their daily monotonous way of life. The very idea of a mall can spark different thoughts and preferences in different individuals.

In an effort to widen the understanding of the reality under study the researcher, wished to know does the mall play any role in defining or transforming the self- identity of the individuals visiting there? The researcher wished to know whether an individual feels like he/she has to put extra effort or is expected to behave a certain way while visiting a mall. Allen’s answer was not necessarily. He does not feel like putting an extra effort or behave a certain way while he visits any mall for that matter. For Allen visiting mall is a normal routine to visit malls once in a month and go on a shopping spree or just visiting for an escape from the day to day hustle bustle. He does not feel the need to put and extra effort. While talking to him regarding the same it was realized that to whom going to any mall for that matter is a part of his daily life and he feels no pressure as to behave in a certain way. In case of Divya, she said depends on the mall I am visiting and purpose of visit. If it’s a high end mall with premium brands, I would be dressing up accordingly. She also said that depending on the status of the mall one is visiting the behaviour of the crowd changes, i.e. High-end malls will have a sophisticated crowd or the crowd will show sophisticated behaviour. Not just the crowd but I think the store agents will also behave differently. From this statement it is reflected that individuals are expected to behave in a certain way keeping in tune with the nature of the mall visited. In case of Divya, the transformation could be seen in the she dresses and even behaves depending on the status of the mall. Her way of dressing is informed by the activity she is going to engage in a mall and whom

- 38 - she is meeting. Upon enquiry she told that, she does not feel to dress up and put extra effort while she visits a mall nearby her home. The malls like SCW mall and others in Gurugram and DLF area demand a sort of dressing and behaviour in tune with the concept of the mall. Jerin, on the other hand pointed out that he does not find himself putting extra effort while visiting a mall. When Jerin was asked what his idea of an ideal is, he said, for me a mall is a one stop solution for all the shopping needs where there should be a decent crowd. In the opinion of Jerin, malls across offer services which are homogeneous in nature but the location matters like for instance a mall in south Delhi will be very different from a mall in east Delhi due the location factor. Even if we have all the outlets in common the ambience and experiences shall be very different. Jerin’s perspective points at the fact that the location of a mall informs the experience at any mall. He feels malls across Delhi produce a homogenous effect in terms of facilities and services they offer. In the midst of this homogeneity, the experience can be varied depending on the location of the mall.

Vasan, 27 year old working man, said that the mall culture is demanding for better attire than the usual weekend outings or an evening walk. It does take a lot of time to decide on what to wear for a mall. Vasan is a person who has the habit of visiting mall monthly for shopping purposes especially clothes. But he sees mall as a place that serves multipurpose, and he feels the same way about the homogeneous nature of malls across Delhi as did Jerin. Vasan said, it feels the same with the malls except the build structure and the interiors planned. Even though he has been in Delhi for as long as he remembers and being a frequent visitor of malls across Delhi, he says that, I still prefer to sit in a park or a suitable open space with loved ones and friends. Arnab, on the other hand gave a vague answer when he was asked the same question, he said one should endeavour being well dressed besides being well- behaved. Arnab is a person

- 39 - who prefers formals attire over casual wear. Due to this preference in dressing no matter where he visits, he does not feel like he ever puts extra effort while dressing in this sense. Surprisingly enough Arnab shares the opinion of Jerin & Vasan, regarding the homogeneity. He said from his experience gathered after visiting malls in Delhi, no significant difference I have experienced because products quality of all the reputed brands being same can't differ much in terms of their pricing. Arnab pointed out the homogeneity in terms of the clothing brands and their pricing. He builds on this point and said, comparing his experience after visiting various malls in Delhi, some malls in vicinity of my residence are often visited, and therefore, appear to have become a part of my day today life. Others for their remotely placed locations often become a point of attraction for not being visited very often. By, remotely placed location her Arnab refers to the malls in Noida, Gurugram, DLF and so on. When Jerin was pointing out that location of a mall informs the experience, he was inferring to malls belonging in these areas. Josu, 21 Year old, a recent college graduate, said that he does not feel like he puts any extra effort while visiting any mall for that matter. Josu, shares this opinion because for him, it has become and part and parcel of our lifestyle itself. Although, he did say that his experience varies depending on the status of the mall he visits. Elaborating this point Josu said that he feels nothing special while he visits a mall near the vicinity of his residence. But he finds himself among much better crowd, while he visits mall in Noida, Gurugram, Vasant Kunj and so on, and thus having a different experience compared to the ones near his home. This opinion that Josu, shared is in tune with that of Divya’s when she pointed out that depending on the status of the mall her experience varies, because along with the crowd even the crowd is sophisticated. Mrs X, on the other hand said, she would find herself dressing with utmost care, to keep in the culture of the mall. She finds herself, behaving differently while visiting the mall, than she does at home. Mrs X also pointed out no matter the location of the mall she visits she feels the extra effort she has

- 40 - to put. It’s like she cannot be herself. The mall culture as per Mrs X demands it; she does not feel pressured by it but rather glad to be out having a good time.

These responses provided by the respondents still do not finish the picture of reality. In order to complete this missing part, the opinions & perception of the people working in SCW mall must be known. Whether the way they look at mall differs from that of people visiting the same? The people working the mall will have a different story to tell. Unlike the crowd visiting a mall, for the people working there, mall represents their workplace. Ergo, the experience will be different for the people working in any mall for that matter. Before the COVID pandemic hit our nation, the SCW mall timings were 10AM-11PM, which means that, even on shift basis, employees has to be present in SCW mall. Although, this does not mean that all the shops at SCW mall will be open till 11PM. The shop timings vary from that of mall timings. For e.g. brand shops like Westside closes at 9.30PM and so on. Keeping aside this fact, the employees working for the SCW mall, excluding the ones working for shops within the mall, will have to keep working till the mall closes.

Upon asking, how does it feel to be working in a place like SCW mall? The responses received depicted mixed emotions. The architecture, decor and locale of do spark the interest to work at SCW mall. Along with this there are many perks while working at a mall. The reviews posted on Ambition Box concerning Select CITYWALK mall reads, there market image and best working environment but underestimates the skills and the knowledge less opportunities. At the same time offers facilities like free transport, team outings, health insurance, soft skill and job training. Although the working environment of SCW mall is good for your growth its 365 days open. When asked the people working in various shops within the SCW mall, they informed that during weekends and holidays it gets busier and there work load increases. Especially during the EOSS (End of Season Sale), the mall will be so packed all

- 41 - the shops will be filling with customers. During sale season, all the counters at the billing desk of respective shops will be occupied unable to leave the place without finding a replacement first. Even the manager has a challenging time during busy times at the mall, following through his duties and taking care of problems arising at the same time. Customer handling skill is a must for anyone working at a mall, as the employees informed they go through proper training learning how to interact with the customers. As they have weekly sales target to meet and they cannot seem too pushy while trying to pitch for a product. When these people look at SCW mall, they see a pace of work where they have to follow instructions and make a living. Even the break time provided is accounted for. The employees working at SCW mall visits other malls so that they can witness the customer experience. Being at mall every day working long hours can take the excitement out of it.

After analysing the responses presented by the respondents, in the wake of understanding mall as a cultural space, some realizations caught the eyes of the researcher.

1. The age factor does play a role in the way the idea of a mall is perceived. 2. The frequency at which an individual visits a mall can also help to form opinion about the same. 3. The location and the status of the mall induce behavioural changes and the individual are forced to behave in a manner in tune with mall culture. 4. Since the city of Delhi has mall in abundance, the approach taken by an individual towards a mall in proximity of their respective residence is different than the one located far. 5. The shops, brands, facilities and services found across the mall in Delhi produce a homogenous effect. 6. This homogeneous effect may be produced as a result of the fact that, mall has become a part of Delhi urbanites.

- 42 - 7. The people working in a mall perceive the same in a different light in relation to the people visiting a mall.

The first interpretation made by the researcher, accentuates the fact that age is a variable in determining the opinion and perception of the idea of the mall in the first place. For Allen (19 Year old) mall is a place to shop i.e. all the brands conveniently under one rooftop while Jerin (27 years old) says it’s a good place to meet people. At the same time for Vidita (27 years old) a mall with any new grabs her interest. On the other hand, Arnab (55 years old), a family man, who finds mall to be safe & secure place to spend quality time with his family. Mrs X., a housewife, sees mall as a place to escape and to take break from her monotonous life.

The second and third interpretations made by the researcher are related and they can be explained in relation to each other. The second point accentuates that the frequency at which an individual visits any mall, for that matter, plays a role in forming opinion regarding the same. While the 3rd point is accentuating the role location and the status of a mall play in inducing behavioural change. Consider the case of Divya; she has a habit of visiting malls across Delhi frequently. There is mall she visits very frequently, which is nearby her residence, i.e. Moments Mall. When she visits Moments mall she adopts a laid back approach, because Moments mall is a place i visit very often and so used to the crowd. Whereas, if its Select CITYWALK mall or any other high end mall located in areas like Gurugram, DLF, Saket & Noida etc. she said that if it’s a high end mall with premium brands, I would be dressing up accordingly. That is because as per her, High end malls will have a sophisticated crowd or the crowd will show sophisticated behaviour. Not just the crowd but I think the store agents will also behave differently. The case of Allen and Josu is different relative to Divya.

- 43 - Allen and Josu are frequent visitors of malls across Delhi. Ergo, even if the status of the mall changes, that does not induce any behavioural changes in them. In case of Arnab, who is a frequent visitor of Select CITYWALK, the approach he takes towards it is casual. But compared to Arnab, Divya takes effort to be a part of the mall culture. Mrs. X, stands out in this scenario, as for her going to any mall unrelated to its proximity to her residence, it induces behavioural change in her. As the frequency at which she visits any mall for that matter is less while compared to others. Vidita, on the other hand prefers shopping complexes over malls. Her visitation to any mall is dependent on the new activity introduced that she has not tried yet. In Vidita’s case also the frequency of visitation is more. Ergo, mall does not surprise her. In Vasan’s case the behavioural changes induced by the mall culture could be reflected from this statement he made, the mall culture is demands for better attire than the usual weekend outings or an evening walk. It does take a lot of time to decide on what to wear for a mall. He also a frequent visitor of mall, but he prefers open spaces, it was reflected from this statement he made, I still prefer to sit in a park or a suitable open space with loved ones and friends.

An effort to throw light on the 4th interpretation made by the researcher would require the support of the former points made. How frequency of mall visitation by an individual is connected to the behavioural changes induced depending on status and location of the mall. The attitude adopted towards the mall in the proximity of one’s residence, can be linked to the frequency of visitation. Like in case of Divya, she adopts a casual and laid back attitude while visiting Moments mall. But at the same time, while she visits malls not in the vicinity of her residence, like the ones located in Gurugram, Noida, and Saket and so on, she adapts to fit into the mall culture. Due to that fact that Delhi has a lot of mall at its disposal, people have many choices to pick from. From the data gathered from the respondents, it was highlighted that they are prefer visiting a

- 44 - mall nearby their residence. This could be because of the casual approach they can adopt. Jerin said, since I reside in eastern part of Delhi, I prefer to go to malls in and around the vicinity, as it would save time for me. Vasan as well said he prefers Shipra mall as it is near to my home and i get most of the required stuffs there. Then again Josu said he prefers Pacific Mall - near to home but Allen, like Divya, prefers Moments mall Kirti Nagar, the layout of the mall is simplified and access to each shop is easy. Vidita prefers the one in Gurgaon, because it has ice skating. In case of Vidita the preference was driven by the activity not proximity. Arnab choose Select City Walk Mall, New Delhi. It's amazing and of international standard. Apart from wide range of collections of quality items/ products, lucrative offers from different famous brands are another area of attraction to visit this mall. The mall is also safe for women, and girl child, due to proximity along with other reasons.

The next two interpretations presented in 5th and 6th points will be looked at in relation to one another. The 5th point accentuates that malls across Delhi provided a homogeneous affect. And this could be because; the mall culture has been normalized by the Delhi urbanites. As mention in former paragraph, the urban population of Delhi has many malls available at their disposal. This abundance in mall results is easy accessibility by the people of Delhi. And accessibility leads to increase in frequency of visitation. Vasan, even though a frequent mall visitor said considering the malls across Delhi not much of a difference i have felt. It feels the same with the malls except the build structure and the interiors planned. Jerin similarly said, malls across offer services which are homogeneous in nature, even then the location matters like for instance a mall in south Delhi will be very different from a mall in east Delhi due the location factor. Even if we have all the outlets in common the ambience and experiences shall be very different. Arnab shared his experience from visiting malls across Delhi said, nothing significant difference

- 45 - I have experienced because products quality of all the reputed brands being same can't differ much in terms of their pricing. Whereas Gerald, working man in his late 50’s said that bigger and more sophisticated a mall is, the more costly are the items. But Gerald does not visit malls very often. This tendency of malls to produce a homogeneous effect somehow arises due to the normalization and adaption of malls into the daily life of urbanites in Delhi. “Normal” does not have the tendency to stand out. If something becomes normal, it is taken for granted and hardly paid attention to. This is how the respondents explain the homogeneous effect of the mall. Josu said, it (mall) has become and part and parcel of our lifestyle itself. Allen pointed out it's a normal routine to visit malls once in as day hustle bustle. Jerin defines homogeneity differently concerning malls, he says some malls in vicinity of my residence are often visited, and therefore, appear to have become a part of my day today life. Others for their remotely placed locations often become a point of attraction for not being visited very often. Building the same he said, mall acts as a part of the cohabited living. Maya, 28 year old UPSC aspirant, who visits mall on a monthly basis, said, it's the place where you do your routine grocery shopping, or even clothes. Watching movies there has become a regular thing as well. Maya does not visit any high-end malls in Delhi; she sticks to the ones near her residence. Like Allen and Josu, Maya does see herself go through any transformation while visiting a mall.

The 7th point emphasizes the difference in the way the idea of mall is perceived by the people working there in relation to the people visiting the mall. For people working in a mall, it’s a place of their work. They don’t get to enjoy it the way people visiting any mall does. The management of the SCW mall keeps a welcoming and comfortable environment for their potential consumers. The reality presented in the form of a mall to the people, is thoroughly planned to attract consumers. The facilities available at any malls make it so, that anyone

- 46 - can spend their day within that space without having reason to go out. The more time any individual spends within the mall, the more chance to be engaging in activities costing money. The people working in a mall spend more time in it than the people visiting. But they experience this time differently. While one is being entertained the other is busy working keeping the former entertained. Getting people to come down to any mall is the tough task. Once that is accomplished the mall takes care of the rest.

In the wake of the present COVID pandemic all this has changed. The nation- wide lockdown did not only affect the retail industry but the economy of the nation itself took a hard hit. We as a nation are still fighting against the pandemic. Mall business, along with other sectors, got severely affected. Amid the pandemic, Select CITYWALK mall geared up for reopening. In an interview conducted by Outlook magazine, on 2nd June, 2020, Yogeshwar Sharma, Executive Director and CEO of Select Infrastructure Private Limited, said that Select Citywalk will be taking stringent measures post-lockdown to ensure social distancing and safety practices for all visitors. The measures have been drawn up in accordance with the Health Ministry’s guidelines. Hand sanitizers will be made available. There will be restrictions on movement on escalators as well. All touch points at escalators will be disinfected and customer entry and occupancy will also be regulated across the premises to ensure social distancing can be appropriately followed. Upon asking how he will address the issue regarding air-conditioning within the closed space of the mall, Mr Sharma replies saying, we are looking at the aspect of this from an operations perspective and looking to maintain fresh air in all the common area and operate air-conditioning of the shopping centre with adequate air changes. The e-commerce has peaked during the time of the lockdown, although Mr Sharma admitted to behavioural changes from consumer’s end he said going forward, once the lockdown opens, we foresee a

- 47 - brief period of hesitancy, before consumers come back in full force to malls. The concept of Omni-channel retail is here to stay. Consumers need an experiential connect with brands, which only offline retail can provide. Malls are more than retail spaces, and offer a full destination experience to people, from entertainment to food and beverages. In an interview conducted by Business insider, on 6th May, 2020 Gitanjali Singh, Vice President Marketing, Select CITYWALK, shares her thought with respect to what the pandemic the taught her. She said it is going to be a new normal for all of us out there; for all the industries, brands, this experience will be full of learning of shopper and consumer behaviour. Our biggest learning from this experience is that we all have time to innovate and think of future in a much more empathetic manner, map out things in a proper way because change is rapid, and we all need to go with the flow. These experiences have certainly made us as an organization more resilient, and we will thrive on having the right value chain initiative in place. Only time will tell us, either the retail industry will take a hard hit paving easier way for e-commerce or will it embark on a different trajectory altogether revolutionizing the industry. Mr Sharma has hope for the later, as he believes that the Indian retail sector might embark on a different growth trajectory in the years to come with the emergence of businesses with sustainable models and a strong foothold on technology.

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CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS

Chapter V Conclusion and Findings We live in a postmodern society. The modernity experienced in this era, surpasses the one following the birth of the discipline of sociology itself (i.e. after renaissance, Industrial evolution and French revolution). The progress that the society has made in terms of our understanding & perception of culture, knowledge, technology, norms and values and reality itself for that matter runs much deeper in comparison. To a large extend Globalization has helped with the same. Globalization made the world around us smaller, with fluid boundaries making easy flow of information, culture, values, and technologies and so on. The extent of progress that the society has made, being on this discourse of postmodernity, has not left any aspect concerning society untouched. Transformation & evolution could be noticed in every dimension of society, be it society, politics, economics, philosophical thinking & technological advancements etc. This is very evident from the work of post- modern philosopher’s itself. The way Jean Baudrillard looked at reality itself what he called hyperrerality, the way Jean-François Lyotard noticed knowledge being used and circulated as a commodity. When Jacques Derrida asked us to move beyond the centres and deconstruct our understanding of reality, on the other hand when Ulrich Beck made us realize the kind of risk society we have come to adapt to live in. And most importantly, Michel Foucault, the philosopher who’s thinking paved way towards post-modernity.

In the wake of this post-modern society, extending its influence in every aspect of daily life, the way the idea or the concept of Mall is perceived also included. Mall, is a western culture, originating in America placed its strong foot in India around 20th century. Since, then the malls across India are evolving and are multiplying in number. This fact, transformed the space of retail sector as we know it. Before mall came into existence, market places were where people

- 49 - took care of their material needs. Along with, shopping, market place offered a space to communicate, socialize and so on. A mall could be seen as materialization of market place in much convenient from. Malls have not come to replace the market place completely in case of India. Market places are still standing, what has changed is the preference of people. Malls and its spread gained momentum in major cities across India such as Chennai, Bengaluru Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi etc. Out of these cities Delhi and Mumbai stands out in most number of malls. A mall acts like an umbrella place to access all kinds of shopping, eating, socializing and even entertainment needs of people. This satisfaction of varying and multiple needs of people, in one place is what marketplace could not provide.

Ergo, malls stayed around and persisted from the time of their introduction in India. After so much time has passed, has anything changes in the perception of the idea of mall? What kind of space mall creates for the people? This research that took place in Select CITYWALK (SCW), Delhi was conducted as an attempt to find answers to these questions. Delhi offering demography of mostly urban population also exceeding in number was the apt place. The Select CITYWALK mall being one of the most populous and most visited hence made the cut. For the urban population of Delhi, malls are not unfamiliar. Malls have different understandings attached to it depending on whose eyes are looking.

In order to realize the reality of “mall as a cultural space” under study, the researcher borrowed many eyes. The researcher borrowed her own eyes along with the eyes of the various people visiting and working in SCW. The previous chapter sheds light on the perspective of the people visiting as well as working in the mall. The complete realization of the matter under inspection will be accomplished when the views, observation and interpretation of researcher are added.

- 50 - Borrowing my own eyes, objectively looking at SCW mall, the researcher could see the materialization of Jean Baudrillard’s concept of Hyperreality. Baudrillard defined "hyperreality" as "the generation by models of a real without origin or reality". The very construction and planning of a mall is organized to get the desired result. Given that the concept of mall originated in America, it (mall) puts forward an orchestrated reality for its visitors. The atmosphere that the mall creates is completely out of tune with the reality outside. For instance, when one walk into SCW mall, one feels like that they have entered someplace outside the reality of Delhi. Even the crowd that the SCW mall has helps to intensify this effect. The Grand Venice Mall, Greater Noida is constructed as replica Venetian buildings and Roman statues. As Baudrillard said, the real loses its significance, with a copy taking its place.

Amid this hyperreality the mall creates, there exists a cultural space within. This cultural space is thus formed is amalgamation of many things. The researcher attempted to deconstruct this reality to find many centres. The cultural space of the mall includes, people of different cultures gathered and engaging themselves in various activities, accentuating the diversity found in the population of Delhi. At the same time this cultural space acting as an external reality, inducing attitude and behavioural changes in people. These individuals seemed like practicing “impression management” committed the role of mall people. In case of Divya this was evident.

The cultural space within the mall seemed to have dialectic nature with unifying as well as dividing tendencies. The unification happens under the term of mall culture or mall people. As in people of different age, culture and religion are coming together to be a part of mall culture. But at the same time, the varying social status and class among of the crowd divides them. This fact is highlighted from the worn attire, the status of the shop visited etc. and the affinity shown towards the premium or luxury brands. Due to blend of varying

- 51 - the status of the brands available at the mall, the needs of the people are determined by the materials yet to be acquired.

Deconstructing the cultural space of the mall further, the food court and various other shops making possible people to sit and chat, resonates with the post- modern realization of public sphere. The mall houses many cafes and other food joints, here people could be engaging themselves and discussing politics. Not only this, the SCW mall provides the space to organize many events as well. Malls have become that place where the crowd gathers and spends many hours of their time. For instance, college students performing street theatre in malls are common in Delhi. With the mix of crowd that gathers at the mall, the message intended to convey reaches almost every section of the society.

The cultural space of the mall produces a homogeneous affect. It was pointed out by most of the respondents that the act of visiting any mall for that matter has become a very normal activity for them. This culture has been to that extent that it does not stand out anymore. The facilities and the services offered are almost similar in nature. But some difference can be felt depending on the status and location of the mall. The bands and the shops available in malls across Delhi are almost same, except few designer luxury brands. This situation results in all the people visiting any mall in Delhi exposed to same or similar materials. Ergo, the mall culture paving way to cultural homogenization.

At present times, in the wake of the COVID pandemic the Mall industry has taken a hard hit and realization. The public space as we know is getting redefined now. With the physical distancing in place prohibiting people to come in contact with each other, “digital space” has taken the realization of public space. Mall came into picture, taking over the market places and widening the experiences that came along with shopping. Since then the malls have

- 52 - revolutionized the retail industry. But, what will happen now? How wills the cultural space within the mall will be transformed only time will tell.

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