Is T Nagar Heart of Shopping – Customer

Overview or Is T Nagar A Shopping Destination –

customers overview
T Nagar, Chennai Overview
T Nagar is one of the busiest neighbourhoods in Chennai, and also the most
crowded one. It serves as a commercial and economic hub, as well as a
residential area. T Nagar is essentially a complete commercial crux within
Chennai in itself. It does not have many attractions, but you will come
across a plethora of retail shops lined up on every main road and arterial
streets. The neighbourhood mostly trades in traditional south Indian
textiles and gold jewellery shops. Usman Road is famous for its stretch of
jewellery shops, while the Pondy Bazaar area deals with a number famous
apparel stores selling silk saris and other garments, as well as roadside
shops. Other than that, there are a few parks and religious places, which
you can pay a visit to if you feel like. There are some parks too for a
peaceful afternoon stroll.

The T Nagar area grew up in between the years 1923 and 1925. It was
constructed by the Madras Presidency Government of the Raja of Panagal
as a part of the Madras Town Planning Act, 1920. The main area was named
after the then party leader Sir P. Theagarya Chetty, and the streets and
localities after different dignitaries. After the Long Tank, which formed the
western boundary of the city was drained out in 1923, the Mambalam
Zamindari situated to its west relinquished. From its southern part, the
neighbourhood was carved out.
Theagaraya Nagar-reputed to be the biggest shopping district in India by
revenue-could be heading for a much-needed makeover, giving national
retailers a chance to set up shop alongside established regional players in this
much sought-after area.

For long, these 6 km-long stretches have been the heart of shopping not only
for Tamil Nadu, but also the whole of South India.

By some estimates, the shops in T Nagar-a majority of them selling textiles or

gold jewellery-are together hitting revenues of nearly 20,000 crore every year.
The official estimates put it much lower at over Rs 10,000 crore, but this is still
double that of New Delhi's Connaught Place, Linking Road in Mumbai and
Bangalore's Brigade Road which clock Rs 4,000-6,000 crore.

Thyagaraya Nagar is one of the busiest shopping districts of Chennai. The

neighbourhood is considered to be the biggest shopping district in India by
revenue. There are a number of apparel, jewellery and utensil stores based in
Thiyagaraya Nagar. By some estimates, the shops in the neighbourhood
together accounts for revenues of nearly ₹ 20,000 crores annually. However,
official estimates put it much lower at over ₹ 10,000 crores, which is still
double that of New Delhi's Connaught Place and Mumbai's Linking Road which
account for about ₹ 4,000 to 6,000 crores annually. The neighbourhood
accounts for about 70 to 80% of the gold sold in Chennai, the most important
gold market in South India.Usman Road is the costliest commercial stretch in
Chennai. The area around Panagal Park is known for its high-end textile shops,
chiefly dealing with silk sarees, and jewellery stores.As of 2006, the real estate
prices were ₹ 11,500 per sq.ft. Wardrobes stores Nalli Chinnasamy Chetti,
Naidu Hall and Instore are based in Theagarya Nagar. Other important
wardrobe stores such as Pothys, The Chennai Silks, RmKV Silks and Kumaran
Silks and also have their showrooms in Theagarya Nagar. Retail giant Saravana
Stores has a wardrobe showroom and an utensils showroom in Thiyagaraya
Nagar. Ranganathan Street is one of the most crowded roads for pedestrian
traffic during day time. The road is full of big-name establishments side-by-side
smaller and petty shops that sell all sorts of household goods and garments.

It also houses one of the biggest private lending libraries in the city, 'Raviraj
Lending Library' on Usman Road.

A major portion of T Nagar is devoted towards shopping. In fact, for

people who do not live there, it is a mostly a shopping destination. You will
find a vast range or products, in equally enormous range of quality and
prices. From street hawkers to high-end shops, you will get everything.

Usman Road: An arterial street in T Nagar, Usman Road is the home to

several small and big jewellery shops - both local and high-end brands. This
street accounts for almost 70-80percentt of the city's business in gold. Gold
shops, and sometimes silver, gems and other materials too, are set up one
after the other throughout the Usman Road. There are global brands like
Tanishq, Malabar Gold and Diamonds and Joyalukkas Jewellery, as well as
local brands like Lalitha Jewellery, Shree Gold and Saravana Jewellery.

Pondy Bazaar: This is a complete and wholesome shopping area near Sir

Thyagaraya Road. Here, you will find almost everything that you want to
shop for. It has many outlets of global brands as well, but the main
attractions are the hawkers and the street shops. Under thatched roofs and
tarps, hawkers have set up shops selling everything from shoes, junk
jewellery, saris to toys, gadgets and home décor items. Second-hand books
are also sold at a discount. These shops do not have any fixed price and
thus are open for your bargaining.
Panagal Park
Located at the centre, Panagal Park is a popular location among the locals
of T Nagar. Built by Raja of Panagal, and thus the name, it was revamped by
the Corporation in 2008. With the renovation, it got all the new features
like a walkway, a landscaped garden and children's play area. There is a
sitting gallery too, for older adults to enjoy afternoons. You can take rest
here in between shopping sessions.

Natesan Park
Yet another refreshingly green patch of land, the only additional specialities
Natesan Park has is the skating rink and a yoga deck. The 4-acre land boasts
a range of shrubs and trees. It is a good place to get some fresh air.

Dr MGR Memorial House

If you take an interest in Tamil politics and its history, you might as well pay
a visit to the memorial house for its 1977 to 1987 chief minister, legendary
Maruthur Gopala Ramachandran. The memorial displays photos,
documents and other memorabilia of his political career as well as some
personal moments.

Religious Shrines
A religious-minded person will find multiple shrines to visit in T Nagar area
if they want to pay a visit. There is a Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam temple
for Lord Balaji on Venkatanarayana Road, and Kasi Vishwanathar temple
and Shiva-Vishnu temple with both the deities near the bus depot. There
are both catholic and protestant churches, and mosques too within the few
kilometres’ radius of T Nagar.

Monopolistic competition exists when many companies offer competing

products or services that are similar, but not perfect, substitutes.

Monopolistic competition is half monopoly half and perfect competition. It

combines elements of both in a theoretical state. In this competition, every
brand tries to make its own unique product, and they make it slightly different
from other brands of the same item. While we are judging them roughly, there
is no difference as such. Although when we examine them closely, we can find
some little difference between different brand products.

Ranganathan Street

This is what Chennai’s Ranganathan Street, the world’s busiest lane, looks like

Thiyagaraya Nagar or more popularly known as T.Nagar is the busiest shopping

place– not just in Chennai but in India as well. It is the highest revenue yielding
business district. And one just can’t miss Ranganathan Road which is the
busiest lane in the world.

These stores are hugely patronised so much so that it is difficult to get in

during the twilight hours of the day. Outside you would find benches for
customers awaiting their turn to enter the store once the previous lot strides
out. You will find ice parlours or chat salesmen hawking their wares.

On either side of the road the pavements are packed with shopkeepers selling
bangles, false hair, utensils, electronic goods, T-shirts and under garments
sprawled across in heaps at luring prices. Ranganathan Road is so crowded that
no vehicular movement is possible. This road is crammed with customers and
those headed towards the Mambalam Station. People bargaining over the
purchase at the roadside stalls is a popular sight.

Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of Retailers Association of India (RAI), notes that

according to a study done by RAI couple of years back T Nagar clocked a
revenue of Rs 15,000 crore per year.