The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Five-day pick and choose stop

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Friday, Jun 19, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Five-day pick and choose stop

Staff Reporter

The Hindu MetroPlus Lifestyle Show 2009 launched

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Impressive array: Swimmer Nisha Millet at the inauguration of ‘The Hindu MetroPlus LifeStyle Show 2009’ on Palace Grounds in Bangalore on Thursday.

Bangalore: A wide array of household decorations, furniture, carpets, jewellery, Ayurvedic remedies… all found their own space at the five-day “The Hindu MetroPlus Lifestyle Show 2009” that commenced on Thursday.

The show was inaugurated on Thursday by Olympian swimmer Nisha Millet, who after going through the retail extravaganza said, “I enjoyed the show and found a lot of things to buy for my new home.” She seemed particularly impressed with the art section. She also made a special mention about how The Hindu has taken the effort to put up so much under one roof. She promised to be back next year.

“It has something for everyone. People who do not want to buy household products can look at the wide range of accessories and art,” she added.

This year, the show is being sponsored by Jute Manufactures’ Development Council and Canon, while the radio partner is RadioOne 94.3. Said to be South India’s largest consumer fair, this year the show is colourful and aims to be better than the previous years.

Products

There are around 125 stalls spread over a sprawling air-conditioned area of 5,000 sq. m. The various stalls have on display furniture from Malaysia and Bangalore, custom-made gem-stone doors, home accessories, beauty and health products and carpets. There was also a stall which displayed the revolutionary ‘Lazyboy’, which had a touch screen interface. People took the rare opportunity to get their feet massaged.

“The new patterns and designs of furniture are eye-catching and unique,” said Manjulatha, a bank employee who had taken off from work to visit the show.

She also said that the fact that stall owners are demonstrating the use of home appliances such as cleaning aids, vegetable peeler and juice makers, made it easier for the consumer to make an informed choice about the products.

Beauty and health products ranging from popular brands such as Kaya Skin Clinic to herbal and Ayurvedic remedies are also on sale. “The jewellery section is probably the most impressive, as there is imported jewellery from Pakistan and Thailand, which are rare to find in Bangalore,” said Abhishek Murthy, a software professional. The jewellery section also has handcrafted jute and beaded jewellery.

The art section of the exhibition was fascinating. There was a large section that was dedicated to jute and various other handicrafts. People appreciated the amount of hard work and detail that had gone into it all. This section had a wide range of artefacts, ranging from carpets and bedspreads to small wall hangings and jute dolls. The prices were moderately ranged and customers felt satisfied, as they seemed to get their money’s worth.

Latest model

Bosch, one of the biggest electronic manufacturers displayed their latest innovation, the ‘AQUATAK’, which is a high pressure power wash tool which would definitely come in handy for car owners. Toshiba also took this opportunity to display a few of their latest laptops. There were also a couple of automobile accessory stalls.

Apart from products, various banking, insurance and travel agent services have set up stalls. Other attractions at the show are the food stalls, which though not elaborate, saw a crowd even as the show was being inaugurated. The food stalls included the standard popcorn, cotton candy, sugarcane juice and also certain new items like Rajasthani pickles and chats.

The show is being held at the Palace Grounds (Tripuravasini – Mekhri Circle Entrance) and will be on till Monday. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. for public and entry tickets are priced at Rs. 40 a person. There is no entry fee for children below 15 years, while women can experience the retail extravaganza free of charge from Thursday to Saturday.

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