This is around the year 2007-2008 when I was living in Guwahati. My parents and I used to go back to Kolkata for vacations where my grandparents lived. Back in Kolkata there was this huge store called 'PANTALOONS' in Esplanade, that was around 15kms from where we lived. Every time I went to Kolkata, I wanted to visit the store, but couldn't always do so due to distance and time constraints.
In 2008, Pantaloons opened its first store in Guwahati. Being a small city back then, everything was at a feasible distance. Imagine my happiness when I came to know that we had a Pantaloons in our city now!! It was like a positive reinforcement that my parents started luring me with. Do well in the class test, then we'll take you to Pantaloons and buy you a dress. Grocery shopping days were the happiest. I went around in the trolley looking for stuff that I didn't really need, which eventually were rejected by my dad at the billing counter.
The variety of brands in the clothing section always blew my mind. Being a Bengali, it is a tradition to gift clothes to our relatives during Durga Puja. I used to have a gala time selecting outfits for myself and my cousins. Local shopping was history for us. Why should we visit individual local markets when Pantaloons had it all under one roof. At that too at such affordable prices! I cannot convey in word, the amazing time I had as a 12 year old, roaming around the store, looking at stuff that I adore.
10 years later, Pantaloons is still my go-to store for retail therapy. That's how relevant and consistent it has been in my life!