LAHORE: Pakistan’s two leading business magnates are going to unveil spacious and modern shopping complexes soon, The News learnt on Wednesday. Nishat Group is building a shopping mall with a covered area of 2.7 million square feet, while Packages Ltd will perform the groundbreaking ceremony of its relatively larger shopping centre this month. Nishat’s shopping centre named Emporium Mall, located adjacent to the Lahore Expo Center, is at the final stage of completion and will be opened for public by the end of 2015. Chairman Nishat Group Mian Mohammad Mansha said such shopping complexes are very popular in the United States where retired couples spend their day enjoying various services. This concept is being introduced in Pakistan to enable families to spend their day in a secure and pleasant atmosphere, he said. It will have the country’s largest food court with more than 35 local and international food outlets. The mall has a dining hall with a dining capacity for 2,200 people, cinema, recreational lodge, etc. Additionally, Packages Ltd will build its shopping complex at Walton Road at the site vacated by its factory that has shifted to a much larger area in Sundar Industrial Estate. Engineer Akber Shiekh said the trend of upscale shopping centers is growing. Various shopping malls are under construction in Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala. Karachi will add few large facilities in the coming years, he said. Brand consciousness is on rise in Pakistan with shopping centres proffering consumers fashion accessories, home décor, groceries and leisure and recreation services. Actually, the rapid growth of affluent middle class led to the opening of shopping malls of global standards, market analyst Benish Toor said. Internationally famous brands are put for sale in these shopping hubs for the new breed of fashionistas. Karachi takes the lead in this effort of cashing in on the brand consciousness with its Dolmen Shopping Mall at Clifton currently the best in the country. Though with similar features, Centaurus in Islamabad is smaller in area. Some industrial groups have established upright shopping malls in Faisalabad. Lahore lacks a shopping complex matching the style, quality or ambiance of the shopping complexes operating in other big cities. These malls are mini-city within a city – a world away from all the hustle and bustle of downtown.
