Waiting for Indians

Oxford Street stores have been favourites of Indian tourists who come to visit London, writes Vijay Dutt.

The High Street stores, particularly Marks and Spencer and Selfridges, would be

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delighted to learn that more Indians would be globetrotting this year because of the discounted airfares and economic prosperity in the country. Most of the stores on Oxford Street have been favourites of Indian tourists to London. I recall one floor manager of M&S telling me after 9/11 that he hoped like Americans, Indians would not stop travelling. He confided that in summers, most stores on Oxford Street, eagerly awaited arrival of Indian families. They spend well and buy in bulks.

This summer the focus will be more. The Christmas and winter sales have been depressing despite heavy discounting. The stores have now pinned their hope on visitors this summer. One can see the preparations to attract them. Selfridges has gone in for what I can describe as a radical change in window displays. It is already attracting attention. M&S who are stocking colourful clothes for the spring, would in all likelihood be adding summer clothing soon.

The prices are holding but I am sure as visitors start trickling in from May onwards, the price war will start and there will be heavy discounts. Good for the heavy spenders from back home.

Sexing up Oxford Street

One hears Oxford Street, which is said to have the largest retail turnover for a single street anywhere in the world, is getting a makeover. Ian Henderson, a property dealer, wants to put the glamour back, making it the kind of place where girls click-clack their Manolo Blahniks next to football stars and their girlfriends, where Formula One cars race in the London Grand Prix and where Britain's top architects create another landmark to rival the London Eye. He said he wanted Oxford Street to become Madison Avenue and the Champs-Elysees rolled into one. At present he dismisses it as a congested "kiss-me-quick" thoroughfare.

It is true that even walking on the pavements is like twisting and spinning through a half closed window, trying to get into ones apartment after forgetting the key to the main door inside. Buses that have their own reserved lanes often take about 15 to 20 minutes from Marble arch to Oxford Circus. Once I got down from a bus near the Selfridges and walked towards Oxford Circus. The bus reached there a minute after I had.

The tube stations are in woeful state. As one comes up on the street one has to be careful of not tripping on banana skins or split coffee. This is despite the cleaning that goes on almost throughout the day. Then of course, one has to contend with pickpockets and credit card thieves. They have got more sophisticated over the yes and use the latest technology.

I am told a gang used the mobiles with cameras to capture pin codes as people drew money from cash tills. Now their job has been made easier. We have to press pin code on a small machine attached to store tills while paying with a credit card. The person standing behind can easily see the numbers being punched. In fact, the fraud has increased manifold after the introduction of pin and chip system.

But despite all these hazards, I am sure any visitor would enjoy the bustle and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee that floats with the breeze. Another great thing is that despite the jostling, there are no eve-teasers. Oxford Street has all the basic essentials for being transformed into a shopping heaven. Yes, billions would be needed to achieve that dream. Indian businesses here which are helping generate a combined turnover of $14.4 billion (five per cent of London's economy), will definitely help raise a bit of the needed billions with some boost from the heavy spenders from back home.

The designer pint

Anything and everything is being "designed" to attract today's young women who have taken to pubbing in a big way. Macho pints are being edged out and the omen imbiber will be wooed with elegant new "third of a pint" glasses.

The pubs are however not doing it for pleasing the young ladies. They are facing a decline of 18 per cent in demand for beer. Most women have taken to wines. The pubs are trying to give the message through the dainty glasses that beer should not be associated with smoky pub rooms, flat caps or whippets.

The Beautiful Beer campaign will thus unveil special long-stemmed glasses from which women will be able to sip their 18.5-centiliter "thirds" delicately without spilling it all over their shoes. These are supposed to be women-friendly glasses.

Untangle this

Household chores call for mutual cooperation--- requiring men to move while women clean.