(Updated - 16th June 2014)
OR
I would Say, this mall is Just an another Express Avenue.
So this is the Answer - Chennai now has Five malls are four regions of Chennai.
EA & Spencer: central Chennai.
City Center: East Chennai.
Apma Mall: North Chennai & Finally,
phoenix mall: South Chennai.
Well many Said this mall is Bigger than EA. I dont think so. This one is same as that EA is Size, I mean the building. Reason. EA has a big Free Space in the Centre of the mall for Events. But phoenix mall doest have that(Yet).
But its true, that phoenix mall has more shops than any other mall in Chennai. I mean the Branded shops (Spencer's has actually more Shops but any are bit and small shops thou!).
So here below I go with the pros and cons with this PMC.
Pros -
1) Spacious, both I terms of shopping as well as Parking.
2) HOME FOR BRANDED I can say. There are lots of branded shops in the mall ranging from Cloths, electronic, etc.(BUT, read Cons too)
3) There are Safe monitoring both Auto and manual by guards.(BUT, Read Cons too)
4) Parking is also available with ease and surprisingly at LOW COST. I went to the mall in my car and hanged out for little more than 3 hours and the parking charge was just Rs.60. But EA(in the beginning) Charged about over 100 for an hour or so! (Read Cons)
5) there are Food courts. both Veg and non veg.(BUT, Read Cons too)
6) Washrooms available at every floor, well maintained.
7) and Importantly Girls. U can see a lot of beautiful Girls with their equipment.
8) New Top class theater complex named "Luxe" by SPI Cinemas.
Cons -
1) A/C? Well there is no cooling at at. Well there is AC running, but I ineffective due to the insulation from the ceiling. That's a bad Civil work there. Advisable not to go to the mall during summers. No Fans at all and No AC cooling! U will die like in desert.
2) Pricing is a problems. Every single shop tags a different price for same product. For an example, I was looking out for a DSLR. A Canon 60D. I entered into Canon Showroom there and asked for price and they quoted Rs.74800. Then I entered in to another camera shop at same Floor (but its not a showroom) and they quoted Rs.54000. Now which one should I go? Why such an difference. Both offer bills but y different pricing? This is same for many other products there.
3) Employee at most of the shops are dummies. They don't have the updated knowledge for product. Not informative.
4) Food court is small with less tables when compared to the size of the mall. It occupies very less people and so more crowd is seen at the Court and Ques are seen often. U have to wait for at least 30 mins to get a Sandwich. And at some restaurants like AAB, u will wait for over 30 mins but no servers will serve u and when try to leave, then only Servers will open their eyes from sleep and try to serve u. Idiots.
5) Seating Arrangement only at Ground-floor and at Food court (It obvious as we have to sit and eat!). No Seating at any other floor at this mall. Difficult for Elderly citizens.
6) Spacious and little cheaper parking when compared to other malls BUT to find parking on holidays, is a hectic job and those dummies(Parking authorities) wont help u at all. U got to go round and round and round to the 3rd or 4rth or 5th floor to find parking yourself. There will be parking spaces available at 2nd floor itself but those dummies will ask u to go further floors.
7) Home for Branded products, BUT most of the product have limited or even no stocks. For example, visit cloth shop like Pantaloon, u would want a trouser with 38 size and u won't get. The problem even exists with electronics.
8) Escalator inside mall are good BUT Only 2 or 4 lifts available for the whole mall! U will have to have for 15 to 20 mins for lift to come, it will come heavy filled, u will frustrated and will finally reside using the stairs to find ur way to Parking lot.
9) Recently I experienced the problems of Low or no signal for mobiles networks inside the mall. The signal on my Lumia works good everywhere else including other malls and theaters, but not in this damn mall. Wifi not accessible. I don't know what those guys and girls do with taping on their cellphones there!
Other than these, everything else I noticed is just as same as Express Avenue or Ampa mall.
Anyways, this mall is good only these people - IT Hi tech people who love to Swipe their Credit cards for party, Guys with girls, Guys or Girls with their friends and newly married couple.
Not Advisable for Elderly people. Elderly Citizens are advisable to visit only of they want to go to selected shops.
Overall, an ok mall. Still 10% to 15% of construction is left and once done. Well thou we have an another Ladoo in south Chennai And thou this mall is really a good news for people around Velachery and they can avoid Traffic to reach EA and all.
The design of the mall should have been better and designer should have designed this mall keeping in mind that "this mall is in populated Chennai for dumb people to use and not in another city like New York and California"!
Shopping cud be better if the stores there have updated stocks!
Won't recommend this mall to a new visitor or tourist. Don't want him to get disappointed.
