POTHYS THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – HAPPY SHOPPING

If you are in Thiruvananthapuram Pothys offers a wonderful experience. I remember my visit to Pothys, Tirunelveli a few years ago. We went there because many of our friends had been going there. They were telling us that the textile shop was offering textiles at comparatively cheaper prices. We did buy a few items and felt that our friends were right. That was a one off experience.

When we had settled at Trivandrum (the name was changed later) we found to our dismay that the textile shops were offering very poor service. The salesman would remain rooted to one place and would order us to show the particular piece we desired to buy. Then he would place that on the counter and look elsewhere. If we had dared to ask him to show another piece he would display his irritation vehemently. Then Parthas opened their shop. People flocked to the shop because the salesmen prodded by the Managing Partner were proactive. One had to push and jostle for space during the festival season to buy from the shop.

Meanwhile people from Trivandrum pushed off  to Kottayam, Ernakulam, Trichur, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil and even Chennai whenever they wanted to buy in bulk and whenever they looked for quality. Realising the large potential of Trivandrum business houses gradually started setting shop here. All the shops were having a good time. Pothys, Thiruvananthapuram is the latest entrant.

Pothys has thrown up a real challenge to its competitors. Everything that one may require is in  place. It is a misnomer to call it a shop. It is a mall. It is in fact the first shopping mall in Thiruvananthapuram. It has parking in two floors in the cellar. Then it is a riot of shops with centralized air conditioning.  Escalators, lifts, and stair cases take you from floor to floor. Groceries, Provisions, fruits and every other requirement of a house hold are available at the floor above the car park.  Dipayan Baishya Kishore Biyani  has written in his book 'It Happened In India' on the establishment of  ‘Big Bazar’ that Indians prefer to touch and feel  rice, pulses etc before buying them He had deliberately kept such items in open bins to satisfy the Indian customer. The concept is followed systematically here. If you are purchasing from the shops in the upper levels coupons offering substantial discounts are presented to you for shopping at the store. There is a hitch. The coupons are valid only for the day.

We bought some dresses and strolled through all the levels. Though it was a Sunday morning all the levels were crowded. We found cleaning workers mopping the floor everywhere. The management, it seemed, has made it an ongoing affair to keep the place neat and clean. We felt we were in a shopping mall  or a duty free shopping arcade in a sprawling air port terminal abroad. The similarity does not end there. The mall is a one stop shop where one can shop for all  requirements. It is a very pleasant experience. It is an experience people of Thiruvananthapuram have never had before.  Pothys has indeed thrown up a challenge to its competitors. Pothys has  redefined shopping in Thiruvananthapuram.