CHENNAI: Aerens Gold Souk group is all set to break through the notion that Chennai has few high-end shopping malls when compared to other metropolitan cities. As the exclusive retail area catering to some of Chennai’s biggest residential, commercial and SEZ developments, a specialty jewellery mall, Gold Souk Grandé, that will include over seven lakh residents, employees and students, will be launched on GST Road.
The new mall will be spread across eight lakh square feet. Gold Souk Grandé with its collection of over 300 regional, national and international brands, will also include a collection of renowned national and international jewellers.
It will feature a huge variety ranging from Kundan-Polki from Rajasthan to Fillgiree from Calcutta to Jadau diamond work from Mumbai. The mall will have a hypermarket zone, a food court, multiplex and Brand and Vanilla Anchor Stores.
"This is the sixth Gold Souk we are opening, but this is the first one in Tamil Nadu. There are two kinds of malls — neighbourhood and destination. Gold Souk is a destination mall. We have got the best of jewellers under one roof, with more than 70 jewellers on the list. Plus we have everything else. A cinema multiplex for which we have tied up with Cinemax, Mumbai, a hypermarket for which we have tied up with Spencers and a lot more. The idea is to package everything under one roof, when you go as a shopper," says Asish Gupta, vice chairman and joint managing director of Aerenes Gold Souk Group.
The Group has established Gold Souk and Gold Souk Grande specialty malls in Gurgaon, Delhi, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Kochi, Chennai, Indore Amritsar, Ajmer and other prominent cities across the country.
As for the outskirt location, he adds, "We have always placed Gold Souk a little away from the city. Because our catchment area is much larger. It will get people in from not just the city, but outskirts as well. People dont want to compromise on jewllery. There are four pillars of jewellery shopping — variety, quality, convenience and ambience. And we have all." The mall will be located on National Highway 45 (GST ROAD) next to Crescent Engineering College at a short distance from the Vandaloor Zological Park. The mall will be operational by the third quarter of 2010.
expresso@epmltd.com
