Developer-operator of lifestyle shopping centers Virtuous Retail has announced the launch of its flagship retail center VR Bangalore which will open in Spring 2015. Following the launch of VR Surat in May 2013 which also saw the debut of Zara in Gujarat, VR Bangalore is the second retail lifestyle destination under the Virtuous Retail umbrella across India in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata.
On the occasion of the launch, Virtuous Retail announced its partnership with blueFROG, an Indian live music performance club which will open in the mall which will house luxury and super-premium retail, entertainment and F&B brands.
As a part of Virtuous Retail’s ‘Connecting Communities’ programme, VR Bangalore will host “Whitefield Blues” – an annual jazz and blues festival that will be held in Spring 2015 as part of the Center’s opening celebrations.
Talking about blueFROG’s partnership with Virtuous Retail, Simran Mulchandani Co-Founder and Managing Director, blueFROG, said: “We are delighted to bring ‘The blueFROG Bar & Grill’ to Whitefield, Bangalore, which is arguably the music capital of the subcontinent, and we are particularly excited to partner Virtuous Retail. In doing so, we believe we have found a like-minded and visionary collaborator who will help evangelise the live entertainment and music space to a whole new level. This will be the first time that blueFROG will be opening in a retail center. We will be positioning blueFROG as an all day arts and entertainment space featuring great food, drinks, music, workshops and comedy. It will leverage footfalls in the center and the vibrant area of Whitefield.”
“We envision VR Bangalore to be a focal point for the community where people will congregate for festivals, celebrations and events. VR Bangalore is positioned as a community destination where we will institute cultural programmes along with world-class organisations. We are very proud that VR Bangalore is not only an economic catalyst, but also a cultural one.” said Anupam Yog, Marketing Director, Virtuous Retail.
With over 600,000 sq.ft. of retail, community, entertainment and leisure space, VR Bangalore will introduce ‘Master Retailer’ formats, one of which is “Whitefield Arms”, an authentic British pub alongside a community event space named “Garden City.” It will also host another ‘Master Retailer’ format called “Foodbox” which will spotlight multi-cuisine all day dining options.
Established in 2007, Virtuous Retail (VR) has city centre locations in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Surat and Kolkata. Virtuous Retail is sponsored by The Xander Group, an emerging markets investment firm, which has committed US$ 600 MM in equity to the platform.
