Whenever I order clothes off a website, they arrive slightly loose or too tight, made with a material I’ve never seen before, looking different from what I expected. Scrolling through online stores, I’m overwhelmed: Will this dress look as good on me as it does on the model? Will it make me look shorter? Is the colour not right?
Most importantly, though, I relish the experience of shopping more than the purchase itself. Entering a store and awkwardly smiling at the staff. Gliding on smooth tiles towards the section you’re looking for. Combing item after item until you find one that is perfect. Eavesdropping on other customers. Posing in front of a trial room mirror and then asking your friend for their opinion. Shopping offline is as convenient as it is enjoyable: everything a store offers is at your disposal to try, twirl in, then throw into a basket.
The newest outlet of Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop, replacing Zara at the iconic Ismail Building in Fort, strives to bring back these exciting moments that accompany offline shopping. Abhishek Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Purple Style Labs, which acquired Pernia’s in 2018, is keen to not just revive but elevate this experience for luxury shoppers across the city. Pernia’s newest store spans 59,350 sqft. “At one point, even looking at 500 luxury items in the same space was big,” notes Agarwal. “Meanwhile, this store will have almost 5,000 pieces under the same roof for people to browse.”
Agarwal has always preferred large-store formats. “A large store can accommodate more customers and improve the shopping experience,” he elaborates. “For instance, more staff members will attend to shoppers who want to spend a few hours browsing. There will be more trial rooms, so people don’t have to wait in queues. Shoppers will also get more breathing space. All these little things matter.”
As Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop is a multi-brand, Agarwal believes that a larger space is also necessary to plan and set up divisions within the store for a shop-in-shop experience. “Historically, we’ve been a traditional multi-brand that stocked by the rack because our stores weren’t always large enough to make sections,” he admits. The newest outlet, though, will have more categories and designer-curated sections that bring each brand’s aesthetics to the forefront. “We are working on a floor-by-floor model where we try to segregate items by categories to create a smoother shopping experience. So, if you’re there to buy fusion wear between Rs50,000 and Rs1 lakh, you don’t have to move through all five floors. It saves your time.”
Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop is a new project for the fashion industry in India, Agarwal adds. The multi-brand set-up bridges the gap between luxury consumers and designers, marking a shift where shoppers move from unbranded ethnic and occasion-wear to clothing produced by trusted brands.
Other stores are located in prime areas of Mumbai, including Kala Ghoda, Bandra and Juhu. In Delhi, one of their many stores is in Mehrauli; in London, it is on the iconic Grosvenor Street. “We always try to see where people are consuming the most,” explains Agarwal. “If you look at Indian designer luxury as a market, the largest pocket would be Mehrauli in Delhi, and the second largest is Kala Ghoda in Mumbai.”
Despite opening a studio in Kala Ghoda in 2018, Agarwal believes it is time to expand. “I can either take small steps and add some area to a store, or I can take one shot and try to capture as much of the market as I can,” he states. “We’ve taken the bullish approach with this store.” The Purple Style Labs founder is optimistic and certain that the sensorial engagement, pleasure and interaction of offline shopping can never be replaced.
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