<p>Every city has two kinds of places one can visit for weekend shopping sprees. <br /><br />There are the centrally located, air- conditioned stores which treat you royally and allow you to browse through items at your own pace. <br /><br />And then you have the small shops in far-away markets where you can find everything you could imagine. <br /><br />While the latter may not be the most comfortable of places, it has a charm that a store can never really acquire. <br /><br />As you step into Gandhinagar area in Majestic, you are welcomed by a few big buildings surrounded by a series of vendors. <br /><br />Even if you understand the chaos in places like these, it’s only as you enter the <br />lane with the big board called ‘National Market’that you actually see the madness behind the huge exteriors. <br /><br />‘National Market’ is an extremely popular stop for many Bangaloreans. As you walk through the lanes of the market, you are welcomed by small shops on each side, selling everything you could ever need. <br /><br />Toiletries, perfumes, electronic items, clothes, chocolate, DVDs, you name <br />it and there would be a shop selling it for a price which would make you think twice before refusing. <br /><br />‘National Market’ attracts a lot of attention for the deals it offers. Bargaining <br />is a must. And if you don’t want to do that, it is better not to take a trip to the place <br />at all. An experienced bargainer would easily manage to get discounts upto 40 per cent of the retail price. <br /><br />For instance, you can actually buy a bottle of a branded perfume worth Rs 4,000 at Rs 2,200.<br /><br />It is also a paradise for movie freaks who can pick up DVDs for as less as Rs 30. “I have been visiting National Market for 15 years now and have bought everything from soaps to even cameras,” informs Raina, a working professional. <br /><br />But it is electronic items like MP3s, iPods, phones and cameras that has many frequenting the place. <br /><br />“I buy my mobile phones here. If purchased from the right shop, it would cost you at least Rs 3,000 less than it would in general shops,” says Sandeep, a student.<br /><br />But all this comes at a price. Many regular shoppers warn that you need to know the shops before buying the items. <br /><br />“You are not given any warranty or guarantee card for goods. So it’s best to go to a seller recommended by a friend who has used the products,” says Naveen, a student. <br /><br />“I only buy from shops which I trust. And I have specific shops for every item like one for mobile phones, another for electronic items and some others for perfumes, chocolate, leather items etc,” says Raina.</p>
<p>Every city has two kinds of places one can visit for weekend shopping sprees. <br /><br />There are the centrally located, air- conditioned stores which treat you royally and allow you to browse through items at your own pace. <br /><br />And then you have the small shops in far-away markets where you can find everything you could imagine. <br /><br />While the latter may not be the most comfortable of places, it has a charm that a store can never really acquire. <br /><br />As you step into Gandhinagar area in Majestic, you are welcomed by a few big buildings surrounded by a series of vendors. <br /><br />Even if you understand the chaos in places like these, it’s only as you enter the <br />lane with the big board called ‘National Market’that you actually see the madness behind the huge exteriors. <br /><br />‘National Market’ is an extremely popular stop for many Bangaloreans. As you walk through the lanes of the market, you are welcomed by small shops on each side, selling everything you could ever need. <br /><br />Toiletries, perfumes, electronic items, clothes, chocolate, DVDs, you name <br />it and there would be a shop selling it for a price which would make you think twice before refusing. <br /><br />‘National Market’ attracts a lot of attention for the deals it offers. Bargaining <br />is a must. And if you don’t want to do that, it is better not to take a trip to the place <br />at all. An experienced bargainer would easily manage to get discounts upto 40 per cent of the retail price. <br /><br />For instance, you can actually buy a bottle of a branded perfume worth Rs 4,000 at Rs 2,200.<br /><br />It is also a paradise for movie freaks who can pick up DVDs for as less as Rs 30. “I have been visiting National Market for 15 years now and have bought everything from soaps to even cameras,” informs Raina, a working professional. <br /><br />But it is electronic items like MP3s, iPods, phones and cameras that has many frequenting the place. <br /><br />“I buy my mobile phones here. If purchased from the right shop, it would cost you at least Rs 3,000 less than it would in general shops,” says Sandeep, a student.<br /><br />But all this comes at a price. Many regular shoppers warn that you need to know the shops before buying the items. <br /><br />“You are not given any warranty or guarantee card for goods. So it’s best to go to a seller recommended by a friend who has used the products,” says Naveen, a student. <br /><br />“I only buy from shops which I trust. And I have specific shops for every item like one for mobile phones, another for electronic items and some others for perfumes, chocolate, leather items etc,” says Raina.</p>
