Jayshree Taori, Business Head, Commercial Real Estate, Runwal who took charge as R City Mall’s head a couple of months back, speaks about her strategic priorities, the mall’s repositioning and what’s new at the centre…
R City by Mumbai-based developer Runwal has been a thriving community centre since its launch in 2009. The 1.2-million sq. ft. mall houses more than 350 national and international premium brands like Birkenstock, Aldo, Fabindia, GAP, H&M, Mango, Manyavar, Nautica, Nykd by Nykaa and Rare Rabit among others. Strategically located near the upscale neighbourhoods of Powai and Ghatkopar in Mumbai with close proximity to Eastern Express Highway, the mall is home to the country’s first Kidzania and attracts monthly average footfall of 8-10 lakh.
It was where leading furniture retailer Ikea had chosen to open its first city centre store, which it has now shuttered.
Meanwhile, the mall continues to reinvent itself to stay relevant by working on its zoning, adding more premium brands and fine-tuning aspects to improve its customer experience.
As part of this exercise, Runwal recently handed over the mall’s mandate to its chief Financial Officer Jayshree Taori a chartered accountant who has over 22 years of experience working in retail with brands like Haldiram’s, Renaissance Retail India, Gitanjali, Entertainment World Developers and Sheth Developers.
In an exclusive interaction with IndiaRetailing Taori, who is the Business Head of Commercial Real Estate at Runwal, speaks about her strategic priorities, the mall’s repositioning and what’s new at the centre. Edited excerpts…
How is R City reinventing itself?
Runwals are one of the earliest entrants in the mall business and R City is an iconic mall. During COVID, we renovated the mall to maintain its freshness and improve customer experience.
R City has significantly expanded its entertainment options and boasts about 2.5 lakh sq. ft. dedicated to Family Entertainment Centre (FEC), which features leading players from the industry like Inox, Time Zone, KidZania, Snow Kingdom and Play & Learn.
R city has also diversified its food and beverage options, introducing a mix of fine dining, casual eateries, and international cuisine.
R city has a beautiful courtyard, which provides us with an opportunity to host various events like fashion shows, live music performances, and cultural festivals in an open and lively atmosphere.
Furthermore, we have embraced technology by implementing business management systems (BMS), smart parking solutions which guide shoppers to a vacant parking slot, Digi Locker and Digital Directories, etc. for a seamless shopping experience.
By welcoming global players like Birkenstock, R City is not only enhancing its retail offerings but also boosting its appeal as a vibrant destination.
These strategies are designed to ensure that R City Mall remains a popular destination in a competitive retail environment.
Has the mall’s positioning changed in recent years?
R City has repositioned itself from merely a shopping destination to a comprehensive lifestyle and entertainment hub. The repositioning includes enhancing its offerings in dining, entertainment, and experiential retail to attract a broader audience seeking more than just shopping.
The mall has introduced a range of premium and international brands, catering to higher-income groups and fashion-conscious consumers. This repositioning helps it compete with other high-end malls in Mumbai.
Moreover, there has been a shift towards becoming a community-centric space, hosting events, workshops, and exhibitions that engage local residents and foster a sense of community.
Embracing digital transformation has become a key aspect of our repositioning. This includes integrating smart technologies for a better customer experience, such as mobile apps, digital directories, digital invoicing and online engagement platforms.
What will be your top priorities as the new Business Head?
The most important aspect of a retail business is its location and R City has that right. Customer experience is key in retail and improving that is my most important focus area. We are working on automating processes, which can improve customer experience along with bringing in operational efficiencies.
Sustainability is one of our core values and it is close to my heart. We are taking various measures to achieve sustainable growth. We have recently moved our approvals mechanism online, which has helped cut down our paper consumption by 80%. We have also brought in energy-efficient equipment, which reduces energy consumption thereby reducing our carbon footprint.
Is the category mix at the mall changing?
Yes, and you will be pleasantly surprised to see the changes in the coming months. We are bringing in more FEC and allocating larger spaces to Food & Beverages. R City has created a strong jewellery zone—a kind of a Gold Souk—putting together brands in the category. We have Tanishq, Waman Hari Pethe, Blue stone, Orra, Reliance Jewels, Caratlane, and Kisna, and with Indriya and Malabar Gold opening shortly, the bouquet would be complete. Another category we are focusing on is home.
What new initiatives have you planned at the mall?
While we are constantly adding brands, we are focusing on infrastructure improvements—We are upgrading our electrical and air conditioning infrastructure and smart parking solutions. We will add smoking cabins and provide lockers where customers can keep their luggage and shop without hassles.
We will also be focusing on renewable energy and rainwater harvesting.
Malls are adopting e-commerce or omnichannel these days. What is R City doing in this regard?
As of now, we would like to focus on in mall customer experience and the other measures I mentioned. The online space is already crowded and hugely competitive. We may evaluate it at a later date.
Any new brands R City is bringing to Mumbai/India for the first time?
We are in the final stages of discussion with a large multinational brand, which caters to a diverse range of businesses, including home/office furnishing, renovation, b2b services and e-commerce and we should be able to announce it soon.
