Cost cutting and environmental consciousness seem like the perfect combination these days. Some retailers have started cutting costs by energy efficient methods.
The monthly electricity expenditure for the Garuda mall in Bangalore is Rs 50 lakh, 70 per cent of their total expenditure. The focus now has shifted from lighting up the mall to energy efficiency and it makes a great business sense. Vidhur Bharadwaj, MD of Design and Development said, ''We have more and more people approaching us for more energy efficient buildings. At times it can cut costs up to 50 per cent.''
Mumbai's Atria mall spends approx 35-40 per cent only on electricity. While Garuda uses 4000 kw of power, 70 per cent of their total spend is on electricity, they save only 15-18 per cent on power.
R Pillai, Property Manager of Atria Mall said, ''Electricity is about 40 per cent of our cost as of now but we've tried power saving measures For example, we have a glass facade which helps us cut costs during the day time.''
The trend is certainly picking up. Abheek Singhi, Partner and Director of BCG Group said, ''The chief trends in retail architecture are a focus on energy efficiency, more upgradable technology and the former works as a huge cost cutting measure.''
Although it is believed that the clothes on mall shelves look so much more desirable because of the lighting, both malls and planet earth can't really afford it anymore.