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R. Ravikumar

CHENNAI RUSH: Mr S. Murugan (left), Deputy Commissioner of Police, T.Nagar, overseeing crowd management at an important junction in the area. — R. Shivaji Rao

Chennai , Oct. 31

IT's about 11 in the morning. Mr S. Murugan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, T. Nagar District, is busy meeting visitors in his office. Every five seconds, his vigilant eyes swiftly swing to a closed circuit TV mounted on the right side of his mammoth glass-topped table. On TV, he sees people swarming the prime stretch of T. Nagar, Chennai's top shopping district. He and his contingent of 450 policepersons have to prepare themselves for another tough day ahead. It's a month-long affair, but Mr Murugan knows the art of managing the crowd.

No million-dollar raffles. No organised events. It's not even a shopping festival. But it's just shopping for a festival — Diwali. Virtually every square inch of the half-a-kilometre stretch (between the T. Nagar bus terminus and Panagal Park) will be occupied in another couple of hours.

The globally much-publicised month-long Dubai Shopping Festival managed to draw 3.3 million visitors in 2005, which the organisers, quoting an independent study, claim was 6 per cent more than the previous year.

According to Mr Murugan, this stretch attracts nothing less than 8 million people during the month till Diwali. Every year the number grows substantially.

This `Golden Furlong', as described by Mr K. Viswanathan, Managing Director, RmKV stores, is unique in many ways. "This is the only place in the whole country where the man who travels in a Mercedes Benz and his chauffeur both can shop for their requirements." Apart from that, Mr Viswanathan, says, "When software companies can boast of recruiting 1,000 or 2,000 people, I can stick my neck out and say that we retailers in this stretch of Usman Road alone provide employment opportunities for at least 25,000 people directly; and more than three times that, indirectly."

Mr Viswanathan sees 15 to 20 per cent more shoppers this year. Though rains played spoilsport for a couple of days, "the mood is very buoyant," he says.

Mr Murugan attributes the rise in shoppers this year to improved broad-gauge train services and increased retail space in this stretch. It's mostly textile showrooms and jewellery shops that dominate the stretch.

Every year, at least 50,000 sq. ft of retail space is being added. In the last two years alone, over 3.5 lakh sq. ft has been added in this stretch.

Saravana Stores, another retailer in the area, recently opened a massive multi-storied outlet there. It sells everything from shoes and cosmetics to electronic gadgets, readymade garments and blouse materials. Saravana is one of the major crowd pullers. Mr Y. Pondurai, proprietor, attributes it to his policy to focus more on volumes than margin. "Because of stiff competition here, shoppers tend to benefit the most. They can buy dress material cheaper here than anywhere else in the country. They also have a fairly wide choice here," Mr Pondurai says. He too sees 20 per cent more footfalls this year.

Pothys, another major crowd puller apart from Nalli, Kumaran and Chennai Silks, also more than doubled its retail space in the last two years. "This year, the mood is very upbeat, and I can surely say our shop clocks at least 30,000 footfalls on any day during this month. On weekends it may even double," says Mr S. Ramesh, Managing Partner.

Sri Krishna Collections is another new entrant here. It recently opened a 35,000 sq. ft retail outlet. Mr Praful Bisani, Managing Director, says, "We already have four showrooms in other centres. Since we felt this stretch is really a shoppers' paradise, we thought we should have one here."

Almost all these retailers here spend around 30 per cent of their annual ad budget during this month. According to sources, this month accounts for more than 35 per cent of their annual sales.

Despite all this, this place has its minus points too. Finding parking space is the biggest of them, feel many. "When these shops can have more than six floors to showcase their products, why cannot they provide just one floor for parking?" wonders a shopper.

In the years to come, this area may draw more shoppers. "Once the proposed multi-tier parking lot near the Panagal Park here comes up, the number may cross 10 million (during the Diwali season)," says Mr Murugan, DCP.

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