Bengaluru malls continue to record low footfall despite precautions & concessions

By Ritika Srivatsan

Although it is over three months since the government allowed the malls to reopen, they still lie deserted and silent, despite taking adequate precautions and offering concessions, such as a lower parking fee.

Disinfection tunnels, clockwise walking paths and cheaper parking

Malls and specifically, stores and restaurants inside them, are great places for COVID-19 transmission. As they’re indoors and air-conditioned, such crowded spaces can quickly contaminate one with the virus. Therefore, not many are willing to take the risk. However, malls in Bengaluru have upped their game to combat coronavirus and are taking extra precautions to ramp up their business. The four Gopalan malls across the city (Bannerghatta Road, Mysore Road, Old Madras Road) have eliminated parking fee completely – it’s free parking for all till December 2020. Besides a quarantine room, they are not allowing anybody aged lesser than 10 years or older than 60 years. Phoenix MarketCity in Whitefield, one of the largest malls in Bengaluru, has reduced the escalating parking rate structure (Rs 30 for first two hours + Rs 20 for every extra hour) to a flat fee of Rs 70, irrespective of the time.

However, the footfalls are still much less, despite the precautions and concessions. The Phoenix mall lies empty and unidentifiable. Pre-COVID19, cars would line up outside the mall awaiting parking space. But now, one finds space within the first minute of entering the basement. To attract the customers, the temperatures are checked and customers are asked to sanitise their hands. If one enters through the basement, the guard asks them to open the Aarogya Setu app. If not installed, the customer needs to fill a form stating their area of residence and other personal information.

While Phoenix MarketCity has decreased the parking fee, the nearby Park Square mall is charging the same rates as before, at Rs 20 for first two hours for two-wheelers and Rs 10 for every additonal hour, and Rs 30 for first two hours for four-wheelers, and Rs 20 for every extra hour. In contrast, Central Mall in Bellandur has increased its parking charges. The low footfall has forced the management to increase the charges by Rs 10. “Earlier, it used to be Rs 30 per hour and Rs 10 for every additional hour,” says an employee. “But now, it’s Rs 40 for the first hour and Rs 20 for every additional hour.” Known for housing a plethora of brands and restaurants, the Bangalore Central mall is now only flocked by more employees than patrons. In another measure to prevent the transmission, the mall has stopped the lift service, and clients can only use the stairs to visit the required floors.

The Forum mall, located in both Koramangala and Whitefield, uses special disinfectant tunnels to sanitise shoppers. While this might pique interest and seems like a good idea, it is absolutely not safe and not recommended by the World Health Organisation. Spraying humans with toxic chemicals are nothing but hazardous, and can lead to skin and eye irritation, bronchospasm due to inhalation, and potentially gastrointestinal effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Refusing to enter the tunnel or reducing exposure to it are helpful.

VR Bengaluru in Whitefield has employed a system where the visitors are asked to walk through the mall in clockwise direction to prevent unnecessary interaction. Floors are marked and barricaded to encourage this behaviour, but with little to no people, this method’s full benefits haven’t been felt.

The way ahead

With Bengaluru now being only behind Delhi in terms of COVID-19 cases, the threat is real, and most people aren’t willing to take the risk. They would rather visit stand-alone stores, if need be. “It’s not like no one visits but we’re far from what it was like,” says an employee at Bangalore Central. “Movie theatres aren’t open yet. Once that happens, maybe we’ll see more people.” Similar to most industries, malls can only return to pre-COVID-19 footfall only if a vaccine is found.