I found myself wandering along TKM Road, Mahabalipuram on May 30 2012. A bunch of people huddled in front of a shop caught my attention. And this is how I landed on the steps of "Madan - Textiles and Readymades".
This shop, named after its owner Madan, sells ready made garments for men, ladies and children. It has a good collection of salwar suits, shirts, T-shirts, trousers, children's clothes, saris and even school uniforms. Though the sales of uniforms are high just before schools reopen in June, the shop stocks them all year round. However, there is no light highlighting the shop's name on the outside, just like all other shops on that street.
The shop caters to the locals and sells local brands. Some of the clothes are manufactured by the owner himself but a majority of the stock comes from other manufacturers. However, when asked if the clothes come from bigger cities like Chennai, the salesman was not ready to answer.
The shop in itself is small and looks cramped because of the stacks of clothes along the counters, but appears to well maintained with ceiling fans providing the much needed coolness. There is also a small trail room, though not visible at first glance. Bright clothes are displayed near the entrance to attract the customers. The salesman was quite proud when he informed me that they have the latest fashions every season for all customers.
In the form of additional customer service, the shop offers minor alterations on clothes purchased, without extra charges. It also has new stock during festival seasons and a flat 10% discount on total purchases throughout the year. This is perhaps due to the fact that there is a similar garment shop a few paces down the street (Suguna) which seems to be the main competitor for Madan.
Overall, though the salesman was not very cooperative when answering questions, I got the impression that for a shop started about 3 - 4 years ago, Madan is doing good business considering its competitor next door.
Another shop "Roshni Textiles" (it is the shop's previous name and a new name is yet to be decided since it has recently been purchased by a new owner) is quite different in numerous respects to "Madan - Textiles & Readymades". Though both sell ready made clothes, their target segments are different. Roshni Textiles mainly caters to lady tourists (namely foreigners) who visit Mahabalipuram. Hence, the quality of clothes on sale here is much better than Madan. This shop also caters to students and local ladies and hence has trendy looking skirts, frocks, salwar suits, kurtas, leggings, saris and even T-shirts for college-going boys. Nirmala, the salesgirl on duty was very friendly and readily co-operated with answering all the questions.
Apparently, the clothes on sale at Roshni Textiles come from a manufacturer in Delhi. This manufacturer mainly exports clothes but it is a guess that the rejected clothes find their way into this cosy shop in Mahabalipuram.
This shop looks appealing from outside despite the lack of a board displaying its name. The peak season for them is from June end to mid October when tourists come in huge numbers to marvel at the old temples and sights of Mammalapuram. They have a very different set of clothes on display during this time - something that appeals to western ladies. However, they also have special stock during festival times for the local girls and ladies with a special festival discount.
This shop certainly knows how to please its customers with the variety of clothes offered for sale along with a clean and spacious trial room (a rarity for me!) with fan and mirror and an airy atmosphere.
This shop, named after its owner Madan, sells ready made garments for men, ladies and children. It has a good collection of salwar suits, shirts, T-shirts, trousers, children's clothes, saris and even school uniforms. Though the sales of uniforms are high just before schools reopen in June, the shop stocks them all year round. However, there is no light highlighting the shop's name on the outside, just like all other shops on that street.
The shop caters to the locals and sells local brands. Some of the clothes are manufactured by the owner himself but a majority of the stock comes from other manufacturers. However, when asked if the clothes come from bigger cities like Chennai, the salesman was not ready to answer.
The shop in itself is small and looks cramped because of the stacks of clothes along the counters, but appears to well maintained with ceiling fans providing the much needed coolness. There is also a small trail room, though not visible at first glance. Bright clothes are displayed near the entrance to attract the customers. The salesman was quite proud when he informed me that they have the latest fashions every season for all customers.
In the form of additional customer service, the shop offers minor alterations on clothes purchased, without extra charges. It also has new stock during festival seasons and a flat 10% discount on total purchases throughout the year. This is perhaps due to the fact that there is a similar garment shop a few paces down the street (Suguna) which seems to be the main competitor for Madan.
Overall, though the salesman was not very cooperative when answering questions, I got the impression that for a shop started about 3 - 4 years ago, Madan is doing good business considering its competitor next door.
Another shop "Roshni Textiles" (it is the shop's previous name and a new name is yet to be decided since it has recently been purchased by a new owner) is quite different in numerous respects to "Madan - Textiles & Readymades". Though both sell ready made clothes, their target segments are different. Roshni Textiles mainly caters to lady tourists (namely foreigners) who visit Mahabalipuram. Hence, the quality of clothes on sale here is much better than Madan. This shop also caters to students and local ladies and hence has trendy looking skirts, frocks, salwar suits, kurtas, leggings, saris and even T-shirts for college-going boys. Nirmala, the salesgirl on duty was very friendly and readily co-operated with answering all the questions.
This shop looks appealing from outside despite the lack of a board displaying its name. The peak season for them is from June end to mid October when tourists come in huge numbers to marvel at the old temples and sights of Mammalapuram. They have a very different set of clothes on display during this time - something that appeals to western ladies. However, they also have special stock during festival times for the local girls and ladies with a special festival discount.
This shop certainly knows how to please its customers with the variety of clothes offered for sale along with a clean and spacious trial room (a rarity for me!) with fan and mirror and an airy atmosphere.
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