Belgaums organised retail

In Belgaum, we are used to go to the markets like Raviwar peth for shopping for food grains, Ganpat Galli for vegetables, Khade bazar(both), Ramdev Galli for clothes, Maruti Galli for the women of Belgaum is a shopping delite and many more places like Bhendi Bazar, may be to some extent also Deshmukh road and Khanapur Road.

Now the BIG BAZAAR is coming up at Angol Cross, near to Bahai Bhavan on Khanapur Road. The place is almost ready and should start by month end already placements for the same are in progress. The place seems too big according to me for a city like Belgaum.

NEXT, the electronic super market will open shortly at Ramdev galli, opposite Ram temple (earlier Adarsha electronics, now closed).

Reliance Fresh is squinting for space and seems to have identified a few but I cant confirm the places still. Rumors are there that one space on khanapur road opposite to IOC building, not sure.

Harsha, the electronic shop is there at Club Road. Adishwars is at Kolhapur Cross opposite to old Ratna Bajaj.

The most awaited Pyramid mall is getting its shape in the old Kapeel theatre, which is now part of history. The said mall will have 4 screens from Adlabs and 2 floors of shopping space.

Belgaum is now getting the organized retail chain in the city. But the question arising here is there such a huge market in the city. With a population of about 8 lakhs and literally zero floating population when you compare it with Bangalore will these work profitable over a period of time.

I may be wrong, but the thing here is, is there a sustainable market place? Undoubtedly Belgaum has been a under developed market no second thoughts on it but still I think in this manner.

Many say that the regular shop owners in the market are getting afraid of these retails chains, but the truth is even in Bangalore for that matter the malls leaving a few like Forum are not getting the foot falls as they used to get when they started, the hype is gone I would say. And one more thing is that in Belgaum, mainly people from neighboring talukas come for shopping and they by no means would be interested in these malls, as the choice that they want wont be available there, that’s a different market segment which wont get converted.

Anyways this is my first blog, in which I have tried to write what my heart feels no grudges of any sort on anyone just a true feeling……