A Guide to Shopping in Chennai

City Center

This weekend I was completely on a shopping spree as usual. Shopping has almost become my hobby I guess. Every alternative weekend I pick up some junk stuff, much to the disappointment of my mom. But, remember, I am writing this post only after qualifying myself by shopping in most of the shopping outlets in Chennai. So,let me quickly get into what I set out to do.

Chennai is truly, a shopper's delight. The IT boom and increased purchasing power of people has resulted in the mushrooming of shopping malls and shopping outlets in and around Chennai .It has got countless shopping outlets that offer stuffs in all ranges. If you want to escape from the scorching heat and want to shop in an air conditioned environment, you have shopping malls such as City Center in Radha krishnan road, Spencer plaza in Mount road (Anna salai) , Alsa mall and fountain plaza in Egmore. Remember,shopping in these malls can make a big dent in your bank balance. But you will be spared of the hot sun, crowd and parking woes .Moreover, the quality is assured. What's more? You will get a complete shopping experience.

But if you give a damn about the hot sun and don't mind staying outdoors, you don't have to have deep pockets. Simply head to pantheon road in Egmore or to Parry's corner to pick up cheap fabrics or the famous Burma bazaar near Parry's to get cheap imported goods . In Pantheon road, you can find clothes as cheap as RS 30 per piece. If you pick up 3 or 4 tops, you can bargain for Rs 25 per piece. Similarly, you can also find salwar materials , shirt and pant materials for cheap prices. The best part of this place is that you can bargain even for half of the price that the vendor quotes.

Similarly, you can find good garment shops in Luz corner.There are shops such as Gani, which has good collections that come for best prices. But an entry about shopping in Chennai will not be complete without mentioning about T Nagar and Pondy Bazaar. T Nagar is the hub for shopping in Chennai. You will find a plethora of shops ranging from big to small in T Nagar. You can get anything under the sun here. Pondy Bazaar is closely located to T Nagar. It has got some of the big time showrooms such as Naidu Hall, Globus and Big bazzar.Big bazzar which practically sells everything from fabrics to gizmos, has also got another branch in Vadapalani.

If you are looking for books, CDs or stationery, Landmark in Nungambakkam high road, or Odyssey in Adyar, Higginbothams and BookPoint in Mount road are the places that you need to check out. On the other hand, if you are looking for beautiful conventional items and handicrafts, Central Cottage Industries Emporium in Temple towers, Anna Salai offers the best of the bunch.As a parting note, I would say enjoy yourself by shopping but be wary of the fraudulence.Happy Shopping!