Kolkata, Feb 15: Central, India’s most popular fashion destination by Future Group, launched its second store in Kolkata today at one of the most iconic heritage buildings in the city. The new store – Metro Central, is located at Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, Esplanade and comes in place of the iconic Metro Cinema.
The location of Metro Central, once home to Metro cinema, has been a favourite among filmgoers during the Golden Ages of the 40’s to 70’s. While renovating the building, special care was taken to ensure that the heritage of the building is retained. The Art Deco facade with waterfall-style columns and grand staircase is one such example. With state-of-the art décor depicting the heritage and culture of Kolkata, minimalistic fixtures and an aspiration of fashion boutique feel, the High Definition Metro Central vows to provide a never-before shopping experience to its customers right from the time they enter the store to the billing and cash counters.
Vishnu Prasad – CEO at Central said, “We are really excited to launch our 2nd store in the City of Joy. Kolkata has always been special for us at Future Group. The launch of Metro Central is a proud moment for us. We have always believed in staying ahead of the curve and understanding the need of our ever evolving customer. Metro Central defines the best of both the worlds in terms of fashion, choice, culture and sensitivity. Keeping the heritage identity of the building at the core, the store has amalgamated fashion and culture with subtle displays of Cinema, Popular Culture and Fashion.”
Offering world class designs, with over 500 high end brands and 10,000 styles displayed in high definition and latest trends, this one-stop destination for shoppers will ensure the best shopping experience for fashionistas of the city. The new Metro Central is spread across 50,000Sq.ft and four floors.
Manish Agarwal – CEO of East Zone, Future Retail, said “The re-launch of Metro cinema as Metro Central is indeed a proud moment for us. The new Central in Kolkata will offer the best of global and Indian fashion to the fashion lovers in Kolkata, amidst rich history and heritage. We are very excited to serve the fashionable customers of Kolkata in the most stylish way and giving them a new venue for the best shopping experience in Kolkata.”
Ananya Chatterjee – Regional Head of East Zone, Central, said “We look forward to bringing the best of fashion to our customers in Kolkata with Metro Central. With Rajarhat Central being a big hit with fashion lovers in the city, we are ready to serve them with our second store as well.”
Central stores are currently located in large cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Gurgaon, as well as smaller cities like Baroda, Indore, Trivandrum, Vizag and Mysuru. The central offers discerning shoppers options of choosing from over 1000 best brands across categories including apparels, cosmetics, fragrances, eyewear, watches, accessories, sportswear, toys , and much more for the entire family.
Central stores are large-format stores measuring anywhere between 50,000 square feet to 3,30,000 square feet and offering over 500 domestic and international brands across several categories. These stores, often located in standalone locations and also have food-courts, restaurants, multiplexes, supermarkets and electronics superstores built within. At present there are 44 Central stores present in 25 cities operating over 3 million squarefeet of retail space across India.
Unique Services that will enhance customer experience at Central:
- Assisted shopping , central services
- Fashion stylists – They will help customers with expert advice on latest fashion trends
- Shopping By appointment – Customers will be able to book an appointment with fashion stylists at stores who will help them revamp their wardrobe
- Fashion attendants – Store staff to double up as fashion attendants for shoppers
- Reserved shopping – Customers can now choose a product and reserve it for free, for up to 48 hours if they are not sure about it instantly
- WhatsApp shopping – Customers can now send their requirements through a WhatsApp message, get options and have the chosen product delivered to their doorstep
- Lux Billing – A sit down billing is a unique feature, to ensure comfort to the customers
- Complimentary Wi-fi – Following the international store trends, this High definition Central offers complimentary wi-fi service to its shoppers
- Ambience and store facilities
- Mother’s room – Convenience hub for mothers that will give them a private space for nursing and changing diapers along with added amenities like milk bottle heaters and food heaters
- You are special – Various exclusive benefits will be provided to Central Privilege customers, senior citizens and expecting mothers