Walk into the swanky store and immediately you feel a magical pull around you, one that communicates a message, loud and clear: it's the season for fun 'n frolic and enthusiasm. Any guesses which shop are we talking about? It is the Westside. The name itself is unique, isn't it?

With outlets in all the major metros of India, Tata's Westside chain of stores is fast becoming popular among people all over India.

With its cool ambience, well-decorated interiors, wide range of stocks, Westside is India's answer to the shopping arcades abroad. The Westside store in Bangalore, like its counterparts in other metros, is a trendy lifestyle store, dedicated to give the customer value for money. Keeping in step with the seasonal theme, here's a store full of surprises. Like all other departmental stores, Westside is also a one stop shop where you can pick up anything from clothes, home linen, artificial flowers, kitchen utensils, toys to decoration items, cutlery, cosmetics and fashion accessories. Let's take a trip around the shop:

The ground floor
As you enter the store, bright, colourful attires for ladies attract you. This is a complete women's world with separate sections for ethnic wear, western outfits, lingerie and fashion accessories. Westside's western wear range comes in soft and sensual pink, cobalt blue, lilac and fuchsia. This section has a whole lot of new arrivals during the Christmas season. According to the store manager,
Mr Melchoir Andrews, "Western outfits are more in demand at this time of the year." Westside also has an elaborate section for ethnic wear, all reasonably priced.

What makes the ethnic wear section so popular among shoppers is the touch of innovation and creativity that goes into the making of each outfit. With the gorgeous colours, delicate shades, perfect cuts and unique designs, the outfits bought from Westside are clearly "different" from the run of the mill stuff you can buy from any other shop down Commercial Street. All these outfits are designed by the store's in house designers based in Mumbai.

There is a Mix and Match section as well, where churidars, tops, kameezes and dupattas have been placed on different racks. You are free to mix and match as you fancy. The salwar tops start from Rs 399 and the churidaars and salwars start from Rs 150. Want to add glamour to your outfit? Move on to the accessories section. You can choose from the wide range of handbags, silk scarves, jewellery, hair clips etc.

The first floor
The escalator takes us to the first floor of the store which houses the men's and children's section. Here you can choose from a wide range of casuals for men. There is also an exclusive collection of formal wear.

Navin Ubhayakar , a regular visitor at Westside, says: "Here, you get value for money. This store offers a variety of products at affordable prices. I simply like their collection of formal wear."

Walking forward you can see colourful dresses for kids arranged in a very arresting manner. Shivani, busy choosing a dress for her young sister says, " I really like browsing through this section. Whenever I see the children's section I remember my childhood and the clothes I used to wear. They are so cute and comfortable."

The second floor
The melodious sound of wind chimes draws you to the second floor of the store. This is virtually a treasure trove of gift items. There are delicate wind chimes made of metal and wood. Rows of scented candles in different hues would definitely attract you. Some of them are quite ornate, carved in red, silver, gold and other attractive colours. Complementing these light accessories are equally fancy candle stands in wrought iron. This floor also houses the linen section. An array of meticulously arranged and artfully colour-coordinated bed linen and cushions are too tempting to resist.

Something to look forward to...
Westside plans to start some more branches in the country in the near future.

What shoppers have to say…
"It's a great shopping experience as the entire family's interests are served. You find everything under one roof. The store also has a cafe which makes life easier as shopping and eating out go hand-in-hand," say Smitha Paulson and Mischelle Rebello, both media professionals and regulars at Westside.

"The store is spacious, giving me the freedom to move around. The kids can safely wander around on their own, without me worrying about them," says
Ms Angelina Kishore, a lecturer by profession.

A young college student browsing through the cosmetics section,when asked what she found unique about the shop, replies, "It's the ambience that makes the difference. As you enter the store there's a sense of warmth and freshness in the air. Also, the theme of any festival is very artfully carried out and this makes shopping a more fulfilling experience."

So if you want to experience the fun of shopping then WESTSIDE is a must visit.

Address:
# 77, Commercial Street
Bangalore 560001
Phone: 5550861 / 5550934 /5592403

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