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The Spencer charm
 Spencer Plaza is among the top popular malls of Chennai. That does not exactly mean that everybody
who drops into the mall shops there. That is the magic of Spencer's: you can just stand and stare (or
chat) or shop till you drop.
A jobless friend once counted 1,328 people in the mall and only 276
shopping. The others were just standing and chatting, or window-shopping.
Located at a busy junction in the ever-crowded Mount Road - officially Anna Salai - Spencer Plaza is
the shopping place for half of Chennai (the other half shop at Ranganathan Street). Spencer's is
divided into three phases; and all three are filled with wonderfully-lit shops, offering merchandise and
entertainment from dawn to dusk. They are most frequented on Saturday and Sunday evenings (when
parking can be an awful experience), but other days aren't exactly undercrowded.
 So, what is in Spencer's that attract the metropolitan
crowd in Chennai? "The huge variety of shops
and the excitement of window-shopping," says 18-year-old Aditya, who visits the mall every Sunday
with his friends. "This is the kind of mall that offers everything, from a pin to an aeroplane (!). And
there is entertainment too, in the form of bowling alleys and food joints. Plus, a lot of entertainment
for the eyes too!"
But why is the crowd mostly outside the shops?
"Yes, there are some rare off days and hours at this busy mall. The only logical reason for that would
be the large number of shops, most of them selling similar goods. For example, there are more than
15 shops here selling clothes. How can people buy from all of them?" reasons Raju, a worker in one of
the clothes shop.
 Crowded or not,
Spencer Plaza seems to be a big hit amongst youngsters and the older-gen alike, by
housing bowling alleys and health clinics on its premises. Children below 10 have rocking animals,
video games and other play enclosures.
Whether you shop or not, Spencer Plaza is the place to be.
PS - Don't smoke at Spencer's. As a banner says, save your breath for more shopping (or more
chatting)!
Srinivasa
Ramanujam
Published on 16th June, 2004
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