Retail Review

Now,however,serious shoppers don’t want to restrict themselves to the mere 42 stores that Santushti offers. Other markets around Chanakyapuri,like the Malcha Marg Market have similar stores as well. With time,Santushti has steadily been losing its clients as the younger generation is captivated by the combination of malls and entertainment.

Only for the second time since 1985,when they started with six shops,the Santushti Entrepreneurs Association is planning a month-long slew of activities to increase footfalls and revive interest in the complex by hosting a winter carnival in mid December. “We will have musical evenings,book readings and special offers for shoppers. We are still finalising the schedule,” says Rekha Datt,general secretary of the Association. Datt has been part of Santushti since its inception in the ’80s,and initially ran Silk Forest,a small shop dealing in artificial flowers. “We want people to know we are still around,even if we are not in the limelight like the big malls,” she says.

Despite the changes in Delhi’s shopping environment,people with a stake in Santushti seem largely unperturbed. Restaurateur Sunil Chandra owns Basil and Thyme,a Mediterranean eatery he set up in 1992,that’s been an institution of sorts in Delhi. “On the whole I have no complaints,” smiles Chandra,while acknowledging that he might have lost some business to new restaurants that have opened in the area. “When a new restaurant opens obviously there will be curiosity to try it out. That does not reflect poorly on my place,” he adds.

While in terms of footfalls the market may have seen a decline,shop owners attribute that to reasons like the economic slowdown,the H1N1 flu and low tourist traffic due to last year’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai. “Mostly foreigners visit my store. Last year I got 20-30 footfalls each day,while earlier it was more than 50,” says Mini Sodhi of Image,a store that deals in furniture. Neeru Kumar of Tulsi,an apparel store,says she is satisfied with her sales in the last year. “The recession has hit all of us,but I think I’ve managed to hold on to some loyal clients who like shopping here,” she says. For Namrata Datt,her kids’ clothes store 2 Feet is making money at Santushti,while she shut another outlet at Select Citywalk Mall. She says,“I started from Santushti and I have seen constant business even in low times. Still,a carnival might just draw in the crowds.”