This session interestingly titled ‘eatertainment’ was opened at the 15th edition of India Food Forum 2022 to discuss how shopping malls are transforming their design architecture to make it F&B focussed
Mumbai: F&B space is experiential and with the Covid-19 pandemic having altered shopping behaviours and consequently, retail mixes in shopping centres, the F&B concept in the minds of people is changing. While delivery looks like the winner, the shopping malls are able to offer the customer the right platform to come, eat, and mingle. It is more of a social spot today.
This session interestingly titled ‘eatertainment’ was opened at the 15th edition of India Food Forum 2022, the mega congregation of India’s emeriti of the Food Retail establishment at The Westin Mumbai, Powai Lake on December 7-8, 2022 to discuss how shopping malls are transforming their design architecture to make it F&B focussed.
Malls are already allocating a higher percentage of their retail spaces to F&B intending to up the ‘eatertainment’ feature of their centres. While giving a brand perspective, Avinash Dolwani, Director of Myfroyoland mentioned, “Ease of business at shopping malls is phenomenal and it gives the brands a new visibility. Even with 50 stores all across India, we still love to create our niche at a shopping mall as it helps us get ‘on-the-go-customers’”.
Bipin Gurnani, President & CEO, Prozone Intu Properties explained the point of view of the shopping mall, “Experience is category-driven and completing the customer journey with the right checkpoints from the point of view of the food and shopping is what makes a shopping mall complete. Food festivals are something we have recently innovated with and the same has helped us win over customers and gives us business too. Emotionally aligning food with the customer helps with creating the right space for them”.
“It is a mutual relationship; F&B drives the customer to the malls. We see higher footfalls, courtesy of F&B. We as malls also have 365 days of entertainment calendar that helps drive the audience to the malls and inevitably increase sales for F&B,” Rashmi Sen, Group COO – Malls, The Phoenix Mills adds.
Rohit Gopalani, National Head Leasing Business, SVP, Inorbit Malls also agrees and mentions, “Collaborative plans and strategies help bring the customer to the malls and will drive all our sales and footfalls. Increased F&B allocation by more than 200 stores and kiosks across. In the world of quick commerce, the F&B experience that we can cater at malls will help bring in the customer to the malls and experience good food.
The others on the panel were Tarak Bhattacharya, ED & CEO, Mad Over Donuts, Anurag Katriar, Founder, Indigo Hospitality, and Nirzar Jain, Chief Leasing Officer, Nexus Malls. This panel was jointly moderated by Yogeshwar Sharma, CEO & ED, Select City Walk & Sagar Daryani, Founder & CEO, Wow! Momo.
