CHENNAI: The Citi Centre mall at Radhakrishnan Salai has not escaped the impact of recession. It wears a deserted look in the afternoons and early evenings. While the food court and some shops still see a lot of footfalls, other retail outlets like Giordano, W and Helvetica do not get as many.
According to Prabhushankar C, manager, Landmark, Citi Centre, sales have gone down by 10 to 17 per cent in the last few months. “Since November, things are not looking up. December and January were somewhat steady due to the festivals. But it could have been better. Till last year, December and January were the best business months. But now, the sales have gone down drastically. We get customers only on weekends,” he says. Prabhushankar hopes things would be back on track by May.
But there are some shops that claim to have managed to retain their customer base. According to M Bharath Bhushan, business manager, Lifestyle, Citi Centre, sales have not been affected much. “In other cities, the business is not steady. But we are doing just fine here. Our sales have not gone down. Compared to other cities, Lifestyle Chennai is doing better,” he says.
However, shoppers have a different story to tell. Nitin and Nainika, who, earlier went shopping at least thrice a month at the Citi Centre and ate out every weekend, have now cut down on their “luxurious” lifestyle. “We avoid things that are not necessary. Shopping still happens, but just once a month. And I try to cook at home as much as possible,” says Nainika.
Though doing better business than at other places, the food court no longer has the same patronage, compared to the scenario in mid-2007. Those who frequent the food court now are college-goers.