Shopper’s Stop

Just adjacent to the Citywalk,and sprawled over 6.5 lakh square feet of shopping area,DLF Place has positioned itself as a one-stop shopping destination. The mall is dotted with palm trees where a live band plays over the weekend and with an underground parking for 900 cars there is ample space for your car as well. But,where the two-storeyed mall loses out,is in the range of brands in it. If its neighbour,Select Citywalk offers Promod and Mango,DLF Place stops at Debenham’s. Of course,there are names like DKNY (yet to open) and Ted Lepidus,but it’s the usual Levi’s,United Colours of Bennetton and Hidesign that dominate its ranks. “We are not positioned as a high end mall and are not in competition with anyone,” insists a DLF employee who didn’t want to be named.

The interiors are dominated by two permanent stages,that will be used for events in the mall and a cheery kiosk by Costa Coffee in the centre. The stores are much smaller compared to either MGF Metropolitan or Select Citywalk,and with only 50 out of the 150 stores functional,the mall still has some miles to go before it draws in the shoppers. “We will draw huge crowds once all the shops open,” said the shopkeeper at the Levi store. So far,there are good deals available,with some stores are already offering inaugural discounts. Fresh-Line,an exclusive cosmetics store is offering a 10 per cent discount on all its products.

But where DLF Place scores is in its expansive,16,000 sq ft food court,with restaurants like Great Kebab Factory and Old World Hospitality already functioning. Add to that a five-star hotel,the DLF Hilton,that will soon open and DT Cinemas setting up in the next few months,maybe then things will fall into place for this currently,desolate mall.