Shopping in Chennai

Trini

I need to buy crockery, pots & pans, kitchen appliances, kettle, drinking glasses, kitchen towes, bedside lamps, dining room table, paper bins, washing machine and other household goods. I need to give 3 quotes on the items. Can someone please advise me of shops that supply the above items in really good quality and also medium quality.

Thanks

nayan

Wont it be better to reach chennai first and then shop around? It should not take more than 1-2 days dedicated shopping to buy all these.
Even if you donot have a relocation agent to take you around your/spouses co-workers will be glad to take you around the city to good shops.

Trini

It would be helpful if you could tell me of any shops or malls that would cover a wide variety of items.

mairangi_vice

I remember this game, always a good time stocking up your new house

I found that 'Lifestyle' was a pretty good shop if money isnt too much of an issue. There is one in Citi Centre mall, and one in Teynampet.
Otherwise you could check out the hundreds of shops in Pondy Bazaar in T.Nagar.

Earthling

From what I've read on the web, Viveks seems to be recommended for medium to high priced home items.

Also Vitan.

For table mats, rugs, fabric napkins, drapes, bed spreads (mostly anything made of fabric) Fab India seems good. Personally I like Shyam Ahuja for rugs but they seem to like playing hide n seek with their potential customers. Also why on earth would I need rugs in the heat of Chennai..?

You should google these names and see what comes up..

Email them and ask them for quotes. There are also some online 'malls'...

You really are a looong way from home (well India could also be your home in a way if you're of Indian descent)..

Done the Trini Guyana Barbados Jamaica Curacao Antigua Grenadines Virgin isles thing ... You come from a beautiful part of the world.

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Mano

^^ I think, Vitan has closed most of the shops few years back.

If money is not an issue, you can head to Lifestyle.
Otherwise look for Poppat Jamal for crockery and other house holds. You can also look at Rathna Stores in Pondy Bazaar, they stock most of the good brands in Crockery and kitchen appliances, also pricing is good.

Nick-H

I can't possibly imagine giving three quotes... you'll have to get different things in different shops, you 'll like some things and not others....

It would help to know what area you are in. Curumbhoys is a good shop for china, crockery, kitchen stuff --- but not so much electric appliances. They have two branches: one in Pary's (Chennai people pronounce this like the English say "Paris") and one in Adyar.

You can buy everything in the Pary's area: I love it

I agree that Rathna stores is a very good start -- in fact you'll probably get 99% of your stuff there. Prices will be fixed and fair.

I don't like Lifestyle furniture: it is overpriced for mass-produced screws-showing stuff, but the last time I looked they had some quite nice "Western" pots and pans and stuff. You can find them in Alwarpet too if you are nearby,

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Trini

Can anyone recommend shops that are good and reasonable for buying silk scarves and pashminas? Also can anyone tell me anything about 'the Government shop'?

Thanks

Nick-H

The Government shop? I wonder which one; there are a number of state emporia...

Pashminas is the preserve of the Kashmir shops; you can find quite a few at Spencer Plaza, which is more like a multi-storey bazaar than a shopping centre! You will be subjected to various degrees of pressurised selling, none of which will be light! It can't be denied that you will see many beautiful things.

I would recommend that you pay a visit to Raasi Silk in Mylapore. Just inside the front door, opposite the cash counter, they have a selection of kashmiri stuff. Not a great deal, as this is a sari shop for locals, and there isn't mush call for very warm fabrics in this climate! But their prices are fixed, each item will be labled with the price, and it would make a very good introduction. They will also have larger shawls, probably in the small department just to the left of the door. You can see materials there, too, such as raw silks, which may cause you to plan visits to the tailor.

Please also try Nalli in T Nagar. I do not know if they sell pashmina stuff, but they certainly sell silk, as shawls, saris, loose materials...

My favourite govt shop is Khadi Gramadyog Bhavan in Anna Salai. You will not be subject to any pressure. Government employees don't much mind if they sell anything or not! But, if you ask, you may find some knowledgeable people to answer your questions. You can find stuff there at a fraction of the cost that is asked at some of the 'exhibition-cum-sales'.

Trini

Nick-H - a million thanks!

SAHM

Trini,

It is not possible to find all of the things that you list in one shop. If you are pressed for time, the best you can do is go to Lifestyles at CitiCentre, or the bigger one in Teynampet. Yes, the prices are higher but the goods are all in one (air conditioned) spot. Appliances you will have to buy at Shah's, Viveks, or the place across from Viveks in T. Nagar (sorry I can't remember the name).

The easiest way to get three quotes on appliances and small electronics would be to go T. Nagar where the three shops (Shahs, Viveks, and the place I've forgotten the name of) are all within 2 blocks of each other. They will all have the same goods, the same brands, the same models. We did this exact thing when we bought our appliances and, after haggling, the prices only differed by 200 Rs or so.

Landmark does carry some small appliances which the other shops do not seem to have, ie a hand mixer (US style). The big Landmark at Spencers has sheets, towels, kitchen items, etc.

Jacob's is another good place to look at linens (especially bathroom items) and practical household needs, such as mats. Kalpa Druma is around the corner, and has lots of nice linens, including ready-made curtains. Kalpa is a pricier shop than Jacob's.

Saravana is a huge multi-level department store which sells household goods for Indian consumers. The prices are much better and the system for purchasing things is much worse. You can get nearly everything an Indian household would need there. I believe that Saravana is in T. Nagar. I would get my "mid-range" estimates from Saravana, or a similiar store. A good driver could point you to them - they are well-known because they are huge and the villagers come in and do massive shopping trips to them, especially before weddings.

If you wish to pay top dollar and get large appliances that come with decent service and are good quality, go to Siemen's. They have their own showroom in town. Siemen's appliances are all made in the UK or Germany. Don't bother to do this unless you are going to live somewhere with a good stabilizer; your appliances will just get blown out and you will be out a lot of money.

Viveks has some Siemens appliances but beware, they are probably just going down to the Siemens shop and purchasing them, then re-selling them to you for a higher fee.

If you want imported items, look in the Global Adjustments magazine at the ads. Many of the pricey shops have advertisements there. But you will have to use the "hunt and peck" method of shopping.

Good luck,

SAHM

Nick-H

Excellent listing.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago, by the way, that both Nilgiris supermarket and Nuts'n'Spices are selling "Cheddar Cheese".

It is mild, but yes, it has the right consistency and flavour! A major step forward

Nick-H

Do you happen to have an address for the Siemens shop? Not that I'm buying just now, but it would be useful to know. I've seen their stuff in one of the electrical shops you mention. Didn't know they have their own place.

I've tried to google, but they are such a huge organisation (IT to heavy industry) that it is hard to narrow it down to domestic appliances, let alone one shop in Chennai.

Trini

Wow...great information. I have got most of the required items for setting up a home here as near as to which I am accustomed. I found that Popet Jamal sell cookers but had to go to Chacara's which is a distributor to view them. There are 2 items which I have found difficult....a really good iron and UK type kitchen towels!!

I got most of my kitchen equipment between Ratnas and Currimbhoys. It has been very entertaining too....especially with Ratnas putting on very American style music every time I went in - I am not American.
I have most things now except for a living room suite. I have not been able to find what I would like. Have been to Home Centre Lifestyle and @Home. If anyone knows of anywhere else that has a selection that is not overprices, I would be grateful for the information.

I am making up a simple spread sheet of the shops that I have found useful and will send it to Nick-H when I am finished.

Hope that this is of help to readers.

Nick-H

Kitchen towel as in paper towel? this is available from the supermarkets, eg Spencers or Nilgiris, etc. I try not to use it here, as it always seems incredibly expensive! If you mean as in Tea Towel, you'll find those in the same place.

Most people don't bother with irons, as the ironing services are very cheap: they will collect from you, and return everything neatly folded and pressed a few hours later. Most things cost Rs2 to Rs5, It would be more expensive in electricity, I think, to do one's own ironing. I have a massive, posh, separate-tank steam iron thing from London that is stacked in a cupboard, and will probably stay there for ever.

I'm not very good on furniture: most of mine came with me, but we do have a foam-block sofa which converts also to a bed, which we bought at an exhibition. I'd say that it was excellent value for money.

If I wanted more, I'd probably go for repro antique. I've paid a couple of window-shopping visits to a shop in Chamier's Road (that's the one with the Park Sheraton Hotel in it) and very much liked some Chetinad-style stuff: IIRC, a small sofa and two chairs, in teak, would have cost about Rs40,000.

Yes, expensive, but I don't think I could go shopping for teak furniture in London with only £500 in my pocket!

What sort are you after? My wife's son and future daughter-in-law are furnishing their new home just now; I could make some enquiries for you.

Anyway, glad to know that your home-making is progressing well and I hope are finding it fun.