Mumbai: 53 per cent visitors to city malls don't shop, says survey

Airconditioned malls in urban spaces have not remained just places to shop at anymore As many as 53 per cent visitors prefer malls for dining leisure and movies a study has shownAs many as 53 per cent visitors prefer malls for dining leisure and movies the study by Civil Engineering Department of Indian Institute of Technology ndash Bombay statedThe purpose of the exercise was to study transport patterns and behaviours of visitors to shopping malls in order to find solutions to traffic snarls in areas surrounding them The survey highlighted the fact regarding leisure visits to malls for reasons apart from shoppingWhile the research paper recommends direct access to public transport inside mallpremises for convenience of a major population of malls visitors It has also suggested that major stations and terminals for railways and Metros should have such malls for shopping as well as recreational purposes so that it would be convenient for those using public transport The research which surveyed 650 visitors in five shopping malls across Mumbai was published in the journal Transportation Research Part F Traffic Psychology and BehaviourTraffic outside Infiniti mall in AndheriThe survey findings show while 47 per cent of those surveyed were at the malls for shopping 53 per cent were there for other reasons like dining leisure and movies Almost 40 per cent of the ones who were there for shopping had got their cars while the ones who had visited for other reasons preferred to walk it up to the malls or use public transport The use of public transport was highest among employees in the shopping mallsThe study also showed that half of the visitors preferred weekends to visit malls especially during the evenings and afternoons Although the use of cars and autorickshaws remained higher during weekends and weekdays there was an increase in the use of public transport and twowheelers during the weekendsAddressing traffic woesThe objective was that the findings of the study will help authorities meet traffic and transportrelated needs around shopping malls It will also help shopping mall owners in providing appropriate circulation and parking areas in a shopping mall said Prof Gopal Patil from IIT Bombay who is the lead author of the studyHe continued A mall is more than just shopping It is used for many other purposes such as meeting point recreational zones with gaming and kids activities movies restaurants among all It is also found that in Mumbai where there is a scarcity of space using malls for such other purposes is very likely for people coming from all socioeconomic backgroundsWhile those from the privileged category prefer taking their own vehicles the rest prefer public transport Offering a few suggestions on how authorities can manage the transport around shopping malls he said All major stations and terminals should have modern shopping malls with all necessary shopping and recreational facilities Conversely all major existing shopping malls should have direct access to public transport he said Improving the quality and comfort level of public transit can also go a long wayWhat the survey probedThe survey used a questionnaire to gather information about the visitors age gender occupation income car ownership and possession of a driving license They also collected the preferred day time and the primary purpose of the visit Besides the respondents were also asked about how they chose to reach the mall the cost incurred the total journey time and how they planned to travel back The study then used two statistical models to understand how each of these factors influences the visitors decision to come to a shopping mallOther findingsThose above 55 years mostly used cars to travel to malls and those below 18 years used autorickshaws and cars Those between 1830 years who tend to be physically active chose twowheelers or public transport The study also found the use of cars increased with an increase in income levels However the use of autorickshaws which are popular in Mumbai was comparable across income groups47Percentage of those surveyed were at the malls for shopping40Percentage of shoppers who had got their cars to the mallCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates