Shop fest begins in Basavanagudi

With freebies and ash prizes on the line for winning customers, DVG Road, also dubbed the ‘Happy Street Mall’ is decked up in its best to invite consumers with open arms.

On Friday, the month-long shopping festival was inaugurated at a grand ceremony staged by the Basavanagudi Merchants’ Forum (BMF)  in association with Deccan Herald and Prajavani. The festival is scheduled to conclude on November 7. With nearly 55 member stores and businessmen among their ranks, the BMF is anticipating a good response from consumers over the next month.

Speaking at the event, Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister, B G Nandakumar wished the forum a grand success and also hoped that the merchants will provide the best customer service possible. “I hope that you (merchants) will provide the best possible customer service to ensure that people still remain attracted to the small stores in our neighbourhood. If the service is good then no person would go to the large malls which have opened in the City,” he said.

He unveiled the shoppers coupons worth Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 to be given to the customers on every time they shop at any of the stores on DVG Road. The prize money will also include a Chevrolet car and diamond jewellry worth lakhs of rupees.

Apart from the shopping bonanza on the line, the BMF also showcased its corporate social responsibility in the form of “Do Your Bit”, a green initiative by the association.

The BMF expects to send across nearly one lakh flyers to customers. Each flyer asks the customer to make five promises, namely, cutting down on consumption of electricity, petrol and water, and also to reduce the usage of plastic by 15 to 20 percent.

Present on the occasion was Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ruling party leader Katte Satyanarayana and Chairman of the Finance and Taxation Standing Committee  P N Sadashiva.