Shopping At One of The Hippest Market In Mumbai- Linking Road, Bandra
A wise woman once said, “Darling when things go wrong, lift your chin, put on a red hot lipstick & go shopping.” Okay I agree. NO one actually said this. But I would like to believe someone did. Shopping always makes the world look better. If not instantly, at least it takes away the edge & in the bargain you get a new dress or pair of shoes or that bag which is such a rage right now.
And I am not talking about the EMI inducing, bank account shattering luxury label shopping. Street shopping can be a lot of fun & comes cheaper too. One just needs to know the art of shameless bargaining & a keen eye to seek out trendy stuff. So one day armed with a huge bag (to keep all the goodies), flat heels (who said street shopping is easy?) & a bottle of water we set out to the very popular Mumbai suburb- Bandra to shop. Now, a visit to Mumbai is incomplete without shopping & Bandra is a treasure trove for bargain hunters.
I reached at 4 pm on a weekday (Bandra gets very crowded on weekends) and found Linking road abuzz!! I took a quick walk across the street to mentally mark stuff that I would come back to bargain for :). A riot of colors & a perfect fusion of trendy & traditional is how one could describe what was up for grabs. Even the stores had “Season discount” boards...just what I needed. Colorful accessories & trinkets, Printed tees, Crop tops, Shoes in variety of shapes,sizes & forms, Traditional jhumkas & studded bangles, Indian Salwar Kameez, dupattas...they were all whispering “Pick Me Up”!!!
I struck gold with a finger ring seller, who quoted a jaw dropping price of Inr 50/- for fabulous finger rings in trendy shapes. His collection boasted of regular rings, funky cocktail rings, mid-rings & a very pretty “Haath Phool” - a type of hand piece jewelery that adorns the entire hand with a central focal piece linked to a ring & bracelet. I just kept buying.
Next I browsed footwear & settled on a pair of ballet flats in dual tones of gold & silver for just INR 200/- a steal, I say.
The collection of T-shirts was good too.
I also picked up a few ear rings in both western & traditional designs at approx INR 100/- eac.
Take a spin to the nearby Hill Road to check out more collections. Shopping smart & cheap to look trendy is so much more fun at Bandra :) The vendors pick up the goods at wholesale prices & then sell cheap to bargain hunters...now isn't that a win-win? There are many stalls that sell export rejects clothes that can be styled smartly to dress up in an interesting way. So when are you finding your next bargain at one of the hippest market in Aamchi Mumbai?
Tips:
- Take a rickshaw/cab or hired transport, parking is difficult at Linking Road
- Walk away after you have quoted your price. If the vendor is interested in selling, he will call you back.
- Carry Cash, most of the stalls don't accept credit card
- Check multiple shops/stalls before making your final choice.
- Avoid weekends, if you must be prepared for crowd.
- Do not pay more than 40 to 50 % of what the vendor quotes. Some stalls may actually have “Fixed Price” policy.
- Few ATMS are located at a convenient distance in case you need cash.
And I am not talking about the EMI inducing, bank account shattering luxury label shopping. Street shopping can be a lot of fun & comes cheaper too. One just needs to know the art of shameless bargaining & a keen eye to seek out trendy stuff. So one day armed with a huge bag (to keep all the goodies), flat heels (who said street shopping is easy?) & a bottle of water we set out to the very popular Mumbai suburb- Bandra to shop. Now, a visit to Mumbai is incomplete without shopping & Bandra is a treasure trove for bargain hunters.
I reached at 4 pm on a weekday (Bandra gets very crowded on weekends) and found Linking road abuzz!! I took a quick walk across the street to mentally mark stuff that I would come back to bargain for :). A riot of colors & a perfect fusion of trendy & traditional is how one could describe what was up for grabs. Even the stores had “Season discount” boards...just what I needed. Colorful accessories & trinkets, Printed tees, Crop tops, Shoes in variety of shapes,sizes & forms, Traditional jhumkas & studded bangles, Indian Salwar Kameez, dupattas...they were all whispering “Pick Me Up”!!!
I struck gold with a finger ring seller, who quoted a jaw dropping price of Inr 50/- for fabulous finger rings in trendy shapes. His collection boasted of regular rings, funky cocktail rings, mid-rings & a very pretty “Haath Phool” - a type of hand piece jewelery that adorns the entire hand with a central focal piece linked to a ring & bracelet. I just kept buying.
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| The Beautiful Varieties of Rings At Linking Road, Bandra |
Next I browsed footwear & settled on a pair of ballet flats in dual tones of gold & silver for just INR 200/- a steal, I say.
The collection of T-shirts was good too.
I also picked up a few ear rings in both western & traditional designs at approx INR 100/- eac.
Take a spin to the nearby Hill Road to check out more collections. Shopping smart & cheap to look trendy is so much more fun at Bandra :) The vendors pick up the goods at wholesale prices & then sell cheap to bargain hunters...now isn't that a win-win? There are many stalls that sell export rejects clothes that can be styled smartly to dress up in an interesting way. So when are you finding your next bargain at one of the hippest market in Aamchi Mumbai?
Tips:
- Take a rickshaw/cab or hired transport, parking is difficult at Linking Road
- Walk away after you have quoted your price. If the vendor is interested in selling, he will call you back.
- Carry Cash, most of the stalls don't accept credit card
- Check multiple shops/stalls before making your final choice.
- Avoid weekends, if you must be prepared for crowd.
- Do not pay more than 40 to 50 % of what the vendor quotes. Some stalls may actually have “Fixed Price” policy.
- Few ATMS are located at a convenient distance in case you need cash.
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