fun shopping

No, I dont enjoy shopping. But it is one of the facts of life that one needs to shop for essentials and also for a host of non essentials. I read regularly about the shopping sprees of celebrities and they seem to know where to buy what. I find it very difficult to figure out where to shop for barest necessities. So if I happen to find a shop which gives me what I need without any hassles, then I resolutely stick to that shop till eternity; well not really, till the owner decides to unceremoniously put up a board which says " from this monday this shop will operate from the following address" and the address will be most in convenient for me.
I used to patronise a nice boutique shop in the neighbourhood for sarees, dress materials and occasional tailoring needs. I saw that they had put up a 'sale' sign sometime back. I have not seen them announce a sale other than during pooja. But this was not pooja time.So I went there more out of curiosity. The owner was there and said they are winding up the entire establishment and shifting out. I was shocked.I could not believe that a thriving business is folding up just in front of my eyes. But then it has happened.
In this situation I came across this shop more from a casual dropping of names from an acquaintance. I wanted to check it out. So Y and me went there today morning, ostentisibly to do diwali, pooja shopping. It was the most pleasant and enjoyable time I have had shopping.Now let me tell you the entire story.
We went there at 10 am as the shop was just opening.I thought the shop is quite crowded for such an early morning, but it transpired that they were the sales people bustling about getting into their positions!They were smiling and laughing and being busy at the same time. Yes, a nice way to start the day. The shop is actually a two storeyed bungalow converted into a shop.( Thank god for mixed neighbourhoods, it was bang in a quiet residential area, so no parking issues, honking autos and stuff).
We went via small rooms, big rooms, climbing few flights of stairs and walking along blind alleys, as if solving a maze puzzle. Finally we reached the dress materials counter.Two girls were stationed there and there were most eager to help us in our selections. They were friendly, they knew the stuff available and were willing to give us friendly tips on what to look for.They were most willing to exhibit any number of stuff that we wanted to see, no matter that they were neatly stacked , easy to reach and at eye level. A place like naidu hall would have told us,' please look at the exhibits and tell us what you want', before we have even looked at one dress material.It is most putting off to me when I encounter such snooty behaviour. Usually that is the last straw and at this point I usually hit the exit gate.
Here when our demands were mounting, another sales person also joined us and added his expertise to the entire process.Y and me were by now thoroughly enjoying the entire shopping expedition. I got totally carried away and told her 'take whatever you want'.Y has not seen me so expansive and quizzed me on my sangfroid! The sales girls encouraged us to try out any number of dresses and the trial rooms were actually accessible and available!The sales girls were giving more and more designs/texture/styles and exhibiting them that the counter was sky high with the dresses displayed.All the time, the shortlisted items were also growing steadily. Full patialas, half patialas(are they bhatinda stuff?) , latest designs for diwali season and new (!) colours were all displayed and vigorously promoted.We were happy to succumb to the temptation to 'splash'.

I asked them if they get a commission for the sales at their counter, to which the girls replied in a chorus that they want good name from the shop and satisfied customers like us.After all what is there in a measly commission! I disagreed about the uselessness of commission in everyday life.They then told me that they get some group incentive for the sales in the entire shop.
They also told me that they work all 7 days of the week 10 am to 9pm till deepavali; the girls leave a t 9pm and the boys stay much longer.Request for leave for special contingencies is obviously granted.There was one girl who was missing and we were told that she had asked for a days leave to see 'paruthiveeran' and was it actually granted!I should take this with a pinch of sale, the girls were obviously in a good mood and were pulling our legs for sure.

We came out to the billing section and duly told the owner/boss that we had wonderful experience shopping here and we will come again as we stay quite closeby.He immediately fished out a customer note book where i have recorded the good experience in three crowded sentences for posterity.
Y was waiting for the tailor near the front office and we saw the two girls again busy and happy and playful, getting the mannequins dressed for the day.The mannequin was carried in bits and pieces from the cupboard and duly assembled with a lot of merriment in selecting an appropriate dress.There was a tv showing sun tv and sun news. A customer was just checking out of the store and saw the news item where the photos of likely suspects in the recent bomb blast case were being aired. She told the girls 'they are showing you guys on the tv!". It took a while for them to register and as the customer was leaving the girls burst out laughing and so did the other front office staff.
I could see that the happiness and bonhomie of the sales girls was so infectious that it catches the customers too. Like it has made me rush back home and hit the blogger screen.
Shanti, the garment shop on 1st avenue indira nagar, adyar, chennai, is a must visit.