Page 152 - DMGT501_OPERATIONS_MANAGEMENT

Operations Management

Notes

Case Study Sahara Mall

ahara India Pariwar is a highly diversified group that started as a small-scale
enterprise in 1978 at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The group has diversified into
Svarious ventures such as infrastructure and housing, aviation, media and
entertainment, communication, hotels, hospitals, life insurance, mutual funds, housing
finance, consumer products and retail chain, tourism, computer manufacturing, etc., apart
from maintaining its position as India's largest para banking (deposit mobilization)
company in India. Today, after 27 years of operation, Sahara India Pariwar has emerged as
one of the fastest growing Indian business conglomerates with an asset base of over
US $ 10.87 billion (INR 50,000 crores), 1707 establishments and over 0.91 million workers.

The increasing size of the urban population and the larger disposable incomes of the
middle classes made infrastructure and housing an attractive option for the Sahara Pariwar.
The group has planned over 200 townships spread over the country. With India's economic
boom and revolution in the retail market, it was not surprising that the Sahara Group
decided to start by building the Sahara Mall, located in Gurgaon. The Sahara Mall with a
glass and metal facade is a Super Mall spread over 2,37,000 sq. feet. This Mall has been
designed by W.S. Atkins, and constructed by Larsen & Toubro's ECC division.
The objective of the Group was to make this into a unique shopping mall comprising
company owned brand outlets and flagship stores which would promise a complete range
of products and latest offerings. The shopping mall was to set new standards in
contemporary design and latest facilities and amenities making it a most preferred shopping
zone for the consumers with international class retailing environment.
The Sahara Mall is situated on the six lane main Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, just 15 minutes
drive from Indira Gandhi Airport and a stone's throw away from Bristol Hotel. The Mall
is centrally air-conditioned. As Gurgaon is a power cut prone area, Sahara Mall relies on
100 per cent standby power generated through four in-house continuous rating Generators
The DG sets are installed in a separate, specially designed room to control noise. It offers
excellent parking facility for about 1000 vehicles. The Mall has a state-of-the-art CCTV
system to monitor safety and security of the shoppers and vehicles parked in the premises.
Five elevators are provided at the Mall. One is exclusively used by the anchor store Big
Bazaar. One is used as a service lift and three lifts are used by customers/others. Escalators
provide ascending or descending facility for people as a continuous process.
In the case of developed countries, entertainment, food and apparel are anchors for any
mall. However, according to research, in India the pattern is not the same. A large part of
the visitors to malls come to see a movie. As people spend larger periods of time in the
malls, they look not only for a real shopping experience but for a wholesome eating
experience as well. Over 60 per cent of people who visit malls watch a movie and end up
eating out, but only 20-30 per cent actually shop.

Other attractions that customers look for to find a mall attractive include:
1. A Good Anchor: Almost always the Mall has to have an anchor store. At Sahara Mall
the biggest crowd puller is the Big Bazaar, a discount store. The anchor store also
communicates the positioning of the mall. So people who believe in "value for
money" would consider Sahara as the right choice.

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