High Street Phoenix Mall in Mumbai

The Phoenix mall is arguably the most popular and famous mall in Mumbai. One of the older ones too. It has maintained its charm.

The Palladium is a luxury market inside of the Phoenix mall. The inside area has much improved after the exit of Big Bazaar.

Related Images: Mumbai Mall Exteriors or Dubai Mall Photos or Pune Mall Photos or Interiors of Vashi Malls or Mumbai Malls in the Suburbs of Mulund and Malad or Inexpensive shopping in Bangkok

Deodorant Displays

Deos displayed.

Deodorants displayed in a cluttered shop

Sale Season in India

These last couple of years sales are a regular feature at the malls and in fact all shops. Prices on left over apparel for example are slashed to 50% or less. A few years ago in India one was suspicious of these sales, convinced that the shop keepers hiked the prices and then then cut prices in a fake sale. Today, most of the sales are genuine. The reasons are that the marketers make their money on the high priced items they sell during the non-sale season, and then want to simply get rid of the rest of the stock as fashions change. Consumers are no longer content with last season's clothes.

Sales of popular brands create a huge rush as is seen below.

When sales are in season, there are sales in almost all shops in a mall. Can get confusing for consumers.

Related Images: Inexpensive shopping in Bangkok or Dubai Mall Photos
Or for images of shopping complexes in India: Mumbai Malls in the Suburbs of Mulund and Malad or Mumbai Malls Exteriors or Interiors of Vashi Malls or Pune Malls - Photos

Spice vendors in an Indian marketplace

Here is a vendor selling spices in an open outdoor market. Every spice from turmeric and red chilly powder to cinnamon and cloves and coriander seeds.

Another spice vendor sitting with sacks of spices like dried red chillies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder and red chilly powder. A manual weighing scale in the background.

More photos: Herbs and Spices in boxes or Chaat or savory snacks in India or check out all the photos filed under the label Food or all photographs of vendors.

Dubai Mall Photos

The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall if one goes by area. It's in Dubai (UAE) and opened in 2008. It is a popular tourist destination, probably because it is right next to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa and houses an impressive aquarium. You can access it from Doha Street, and also from the metro.

A view of the inside of the Dubai mall with the Aquarium on the left of the picture.

This is a view of the entry into Dubai Mall if one uses the metro. There is a subway or walkway right into the mall. Though it is very long, the moving walkway makes it easier.

The entry into the Dubai Mall

Related Images: Inexpensive shopping in Bangkok
Or for images of shopping complexes in India: Mumbai Malls in the Suburbs of Mulund and Malad or Mumbai Malls Exteriors or Interiors of Vashi Malls or Pune Malls - Photos

Fruit Vendors vs supermarkets

This is how easy it is for consumers to access produce. Simply walk out of their building and usually they will find some vendor selling fruits or vegetables. They need to do it, as most Indians are poor and do not own personal transport. Or if they do, the expense of gas or petrol pinches their pocket. And these fruit vendors are willing to bargain but there is a catch. If you do not know the current prices you can be taken for a ride. In fact alighting from a car guarantees that the prices will be jacked up.

Here are two women in South India chatting with each other as they sell fresh apples, bananas, tangerines and grapes.  This picture was taken in Madurai.

All types of fruits can be found on the streets in India, just a short walk away. This includes even produce such as sugarcane which many Indians love to eat raw.  Here is a woman on a Thane's Gokhale Road selling bananas and sugarcane sticks.

These fruit vendors line up on the highway to catch customers leaving town. Usually the produce is fresher than what one can get in city markets. These fruits are not cheap, but they are good.

Another fruit vendor on a highway. He is selling custard apples and guavas which are bright red from the inside.

Here is an antiseptic environment of a supermarket. Fruits and vegetables are stacked in the centre of the room. This photograph was shot in Pune.

The section of a supermarket where fruits and vegetables are sold. Cleaner and as there are fixed prices at least you know that the shop is not cheating you. There is not hassle of bargaining. This photograph is from D-Mart.

More images and sketches of Fruits or photos of Markets.

Or you might also like Juices and Milk display at supermarkets in India or Supermarket pictures - crockery, tomato puree, coconut milk, cheese and butter

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Metallic Alien Monsters

These are photographs of aliens and predator Art. These metallic pieces were on sale in a shop on the island of Koh Sumai in Thailand. There were a lot of metallic art inside the shop but photography was not allowed.

This metallic monster lookssomething like the alien from the movie "Predator"

Cloth and Textile Market in Ahmedabad old city

These are photographs of the famous cloth and textile market of Ahmedabad where you get cottons, dress material, linen or sarees at reasonable prices. The rates are low as many wholesalers and cloth merchants operate from here. Embroidery work is also available. The sights are quite colourful due to the wide variety of typical Gujarati cottons available here. Many small businesses pick up their material from here.

This is a small lane which winds it way through this old city market in Ahmedabad. Easy to get lost here. A worker at one of the stores is carrying bales of cloth on his shoulders to another storage place or perhaps another shop.

A salesman is folding the material after customers have left the shop. He has a lot of work to do as reams of dress material is lying on the floor, and some has spilled on to the road.

Here is another cloth merchant in his shop, folding dress material. The shop also sells sarees which are hanging on hangers to the right of the image. Some duppattas decorate the right side of the shop.

A cloth salesman hard at work folding material which the customers have just seen.

Related Images: Crowded market places in India   or or check out the posts under the label "Markets"

or try this one: Inexpensive shopping in Bangkok

Small Retailers in India

Small retailers or what can be called Mom and Pop Stores or Kirana stores are the life of retail in India. They dot the country, in small towns, villages and cities. They are of all shapes and sizes, catering to the rich, the middle class as well as the poor. They create entrepreneurship opportunities for the common man. They are to be found at every corner in most cities, walking distance from residential localities.

These are a row of shops in a crowded streets. They often call themselves "General Stores" and by that they mean that generally everything of daily use can be found here! This means goods ranging from food grains and processed foods to stationary items. These are not self-help shops but have several people behind the counter who offer immediate service.

This is what the inside of a general store can look like. It can be crowded inside, and impossible to step in. The shop-keeper is the only one who can find what you want! These are often called kirana shops.

This is a small store which calls itself a supermarket, catering to the middle-classes. In a way it is although it is cramped and crowded inside because it is a self-help store which stocks daily-use items.

Another small store calling itself a "convenience mart" for the better-off.

This shop is a general store or kirana shop. It sells the same thing but is located in a poorer locality. Goods may not be always genuine (adulterated?) but they are certainly cheap.

A small general store in a poor locality.

Pictures of supermarkets in India: Supermarket pictures - crockery, tomato puree, coconut milk, cheese and butter or Juices and Milk display at supermarkets in India

Other related photographs: Vegetable Markets in India or For Sale Signboards in India or Crowded market places in India or click on the label Retail

Inexpensive shopping in Bangkok

Indra Market in Bangkok, Thailand, is a good place to buy goods at a reasonable rates. Value for money. Good garments at a cheap price and lots of variety and low prices. Stylish clothes, shoes and costume jewellery. If you are anywhere near Indra Square don't miss this market!

This is the exterior of Indra Square.

A peek inside the market. The shop-keepers are polite.

The MBK market or mall is talked about a lot, but we were disappointed. Not only is it full of fake goods, the goods are defective in many cases. Worse, the shopkeepers are rude. We were witness to several fights, started by the shop-keepers themselves. MBK, though conveniently located, is a market to avoid unless you are ready to ignore rude and indifferent behavior. But why do that when Bangkok has so many good markets! Mind you this behavior is not because of bargaining of otherwise interacting with the shop-keepers. They just yell at you if you touch any of their goods. Or sit on a stool outside their shop because your feet are killing you. Or if you are lucky, they just completely ignore you if you ask them the price of anything! We sure were glad to leave that place and never will we ever go their again!

This is the interior of the MBK market.

A corridor at the market. Go to this market if you are desperate for fakes but beware, the fakes are so badly tailored that they won't last long so its not value for  money.

If you want to see malls and markets in India try the label "Markets"

Antiques like lamps, clocks and ancient record players

Antiques can be found in street markets in India and these few photographs are from Colaba and also from Oshiwara.

This photograph is from a street market in Oshiwara, a Mumbai suburb. It shows some old glass lamps made of ceramic, glass, copper and other metals. There is a line of shops selling furniture on this same street which  sells old furniture and accessories.

This is a view of the Colaba street market where you can buy almost everything from knick-knacks and clothes to electronics and antique objects. Mainly for tourists.

This is an old antique clock at the Colaba street market. Around it one can see various old brass objects for sale. An ancient manual camera can be seen to the bottom left of the picture. These vintage objects can delight many collectors.

This is an ancient record player with huge speakers! Appear to be made of brass. In the old days space was not at a premium so everything was large!

Watches, clocks and objects of different types.

Related Images: Fashion Street in South Mumbai or Costume jewellery beads and necklaces sold at the Colaba street market. 

Photos of Inexpensive shopping in Bangkok

Fashion Street in South Mumbai

It's not frequented by the hip crowd but you can pick up some inexpensive and smart ready-mades at Fashion Street in South Mumbai. You might find some foreign tourists here looking for cheap cotton ready-mades but mostly you find the middle classes here. Some of these clothes are export rejects.

A row of ramshackle shops packed with different types of clothes for men, women, and children line this arterial road in Mumbai. Trees provide the shade as you go from shop to shop. Bargaining is common.  Good place to pick up nightwear.

A closer look at these shops selling ready-made clothes. Jackets, tops and T-shirts.

Shoppers walking along the broad pavement along the shops are Fashion Street. They seem to be pretty satisfied with their haul!

Crowded market places in India or Vegetable Markets in India

Pavement book-sellers

These are photographs of second-hand books being sold on the pavements of Mumbai. These pavement book stalls are visible on the streets of most cities of India and books are sold as cheap as a ten rupees in some cases. Bigger cities command higher prices. Many of these stalls are illegal stalls occupying the sidewalks but most of them get away with it with connivance of officials.

This photograph is taken in South Mumbai, opposite Churchgate station.

The photograph is also taken in South Mumbai, near Fountain. However these particular book hawkers and their stalls are not there now. Probably evicted.

Here is a close-up of books which are stacked neatly on the pavement. Popular titles are what make business lucrative for the book sellers. Some of these books are brand new pirated versions of the originals. Shantaram is a popular book and a pirated edition can be bought easily. Paul Coelho is also quite popular.

Older books are usually thrown carelessly on the ground on a bedsheets. You need to shift through them to find what you want. In this close-up of the books for sale on the pavejavascript:void(0)ment you can see that some of the books are really old, without covers.

Related Photographs: Inside a bookshop or Photographs of children studying outdoors

Or Road-side food stalls or street food or Road side vendors in India blocking the pavements

Costume jewellery beads and necklaces

These are pictures of costume jewellery available in jewellery markets in India. These particular shots were taken at Colaba Causeway, a shopping centre frequented by tourists. People bargain hard for the trinkets found here. Fake jewellery is popular amongst the young and the feisty.

These necklaces are colourful, pretty and you can find fashion jewelery matching for every dress you choose. Inexpensive materials like glass, plastic, synthetic stones as well as cheap metals are used to make this type of jewelry.

These chunky necklaces made of beads of different colors and sizes are more of a fashion statement than anything else. This type of jewelry is considered disposable. It's cheap and easy to mix and match with different occasions. As can be seen some amount of effort has been put into designing this jewelry.

These are colourful necklaces displayed in a jewelry shop.

Related Photo: Tourists buying jewellery in Istanbul, Turkey