Stall time

When Kamal Kamra set up his brand of costume jewellery Karigari last September,he wanted to reach out to the mall-hopping crowd. But renting a space at a high-end mall did not seem appropriate for a startup with limited stock. So Kamra settled for a kiosk at the upscale Select Citywalk in Saket. “This ensured that we reached the right clientele. People don’t walk into every store,but if a kiosk catches their attention they stop by,” says Kamra,who also ran a kiosk for four months at DLF Place,Vasant Kunj,apart from opening another counter at Surbhi store at DLF City Centre,Gurgaon. He is now planning a standalone outlet at Karol Bagh. “The brand is now established. We have over 600 designs in earrings,enough for a store,but we will retain the kiosks. The business decision has benefitted us,” says Kamra,pointing out that malls are no longer out of reach of small entrepreneurs with limited capital. They can just go for a kiosk; it is a business option that is finding many smart takers.

Walk into Ambience Mall in Gurgaon and you would find,strategically outside Benetton,Anju Srivastava selling some pricey herbs at her kiosk. At Select Citywalk,Modisch,a Delhi-based company selling handicrafts and imitation jewellery,has a crowd around its booth. At TDI Mall,Rajouri,there are over 25 kiosks. Manish Arora,general manager,TDI Mall,says,“Kiosks are a source of additional revenue and liven up the mall,which would wear a deserted look if there is too much open space.” After the mall’s food court shut six months ago,Arora increased the number of food kiosks. Kwality Walls will open shop next month and current occupants include Taste Drive that sells kathi rolls and Breads with baked goods and confectionaries. “Overhead costs are less for kiosks and no common area maintenance charge is levied,” says Arora,who charges a monthly rental of Rs 10,000-40,000 for kiosks,depending on the location and size,which could be as small as 2 sq ft and go up to 10 sq ft. The rent for a store on the ground floor at the mall is,meanwhile,Rs 175-180 per sq ft.

Rajiv Duggal,CEO,Select Citywalk,says,“We invite people to open a kiosk if they have something unusual.” There are eight carts in the mall,apart from six regular kiosks. The rent varies from Rs 85,000 to Rs 2 lakh. The rental agreement,Duggal says,is renewed every month. “It depends on the response,” says Duggal,whose mall has kiosks of pet accessories Heads Up for Tails and the tattoo booth Hulk. The carts are of Pylone and Happily Unmarried that have kitschy home accessories,the toy store Mama’s Little Donut and the sushi outlet Sushiya.

When Vasudha Munjal of the chocolate boutique Choko La,that has eateries at Basant Lok and Khan Market,booked a kiosk at Select Citywalk for July-August,she was just testing the ground. “I wanted to check the response,before considering a retail outlet in a mall,” says Munjal. She has yet to open a store in the mall,but is planning to open a kiosk next to Cocoberry at DLF Place,Saket. The Choko La pastas and shakes are absent at the kiosk,but it stocks chocolates and breads.

“Kiosks promote unique products that might not already have a market,” says the herb lady Srivastava surrounded by pots of basil,oregano and peppermint,priced at Rs 200 onwards. A kiosk comes with limited space and the rental is not necessarily rock-bottom,but Vaibhav Jain of Modisch says it is worth the investment. “It is appropriate for those who have small-sized products,” says Jain who has kiosks at Cross River Mall,Karkar Dooma; V3S Mall,Laxmi Nagar; City Square,Rajouri and Select Citywalk. The encouraging sales at the kiosks have even prompted him to wind up his export business and concentrate on the domestic market.

At Great India Place,Noida,meanwhile,preparations are on for the festive season. “We will have festive products,” says Benu Sehgal,vice-president,operations,“The endeavour is to provide a complete shopping experience.” Stall hopping seems to be in.