Shop ’til you drop: Mumbai edition
Editor’s note: We asked Arunima Joshua, journalist and Mumbai shopping expert, to cut through the clutter and compile this no-nonsense shopping guide to Mumbai, with a special focus on counter culture and indie finds. After all, no place does hustle with a side of cool better than the maximum city.
(Check out our shopping guides to Bengaluru and Goa. You can also head to our sister site, Souk, for the best shopping recommendations.)
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For your bookshelf or study
Fluxus Chapel (map), Bandra
This is run by one of the founding organisers of Bombay Zine Fest, and you may have to check their Instagram to confirm if they’re open, perhaps even drop them a DM. You can expect to find the most oblique art, collectible zines, stickers, coffee table books, periodicals, classic novels, graphic novels, postcards, prints, paintings…the list goes on. Fluxus is zealously dedicated to the arts and does a fantastic job at the curations and attention to detail with their inventory that explores everything literature and visual medium—from photography to design, couture, and music.
P.S.: They usually open at 3 PM most days, just check their IG stories.
Prices range from a few hundred rupees for zines, prints, second hand books, and stickers to a few thousands for coffee table books or paintings.
Concept stores
One Amazing Thing (OAT) anti-pop up by Brown Paper Bag (bpb), Colaba
The bpb team curates their OAT store twice a year, usually in September and December at an art deco residential location in Colaba. You can expect to find coveted beauty brands, vintage crockery, hand knitted linen, designer jewellery, and other beautiful things all displayed in an array of tasteful whimsy. It’s an idea of a pop up, a kind of abstraction. Something illusory, that may feel comparable to your own lifestyle. Sometimes, there is cake! RSVP via the bpb newsletter or Instagram.
Prices start from Rs 1,000 for beauty and knickknacks for the home; designer wear and artisanal goods start at the Rs 10,000 range.
Yes, it’s all very meta in this city with the naming. My favourite section here is the kids one—makes for great gifting for your boss or a school friend who’s a new mother. The softest baby blankets and towels; very cute stuffed animals wrapped in assorted, recycled cotton; face mists, woodpressed oils, and handmade soaps for some Mom-me-time and more. For older kids, there are fabric clipboards that make me actually want to relive being a student again (maybe I’d study this time around!), hairclips, and bands. Everything here is more or less made from cotton textile, and their fabric baskets, decorative buntings, and cloth envelopes are also great for gifting. Everything is super reasonably priced too.
Stationery under Rs 100; Coldpressed, organic soaps and toys start at Rs 290; Buntings and baskets from Rs 490
The Kin (map), Dadar lobby concept store
This shop, located inside a charming boutique hotel, is a wonder to take in. Structural vases (I once spotted a ceramic vase simulating a bouquet of red hot chilli peppers), cold pressed soaps, literature for your coffee table, homegrown beauty, artsy candelabras, international periodicals, paintings, unique lighting objects, fashion bibles, and more. Curated by Guneet Sethi, a partner at the hotel, the lobby shop has everything you need to add a bit more taste to your everyday living.
Prices start at Rs 1,000 for beauty products
Ceramics and home items from Rs 5,000 onwards
Teatro Dhora (map), Bandra
Dhora, a jewellery brand from Jaipur, has a concept store right next to The Shop in Bandra. This one favours not only gold-plated bijoux but also bandhani, ikat, and bamboo products from various homegrown and artisanal brands. Brands like Kissa Goi sell hand-embroidered post cards while Jodi Life offers their hand block printed dresses and Indo-western wear. They may or may not stock their white topaz as polki signature trinkets, but enamel jewellery that pops and tribal necklaces are reliable finds.
Honourable mentions: Nilaya Anthology (map) in Lower Parel for their installations, crafted in collaboration with renowned designers; Broadway in Bandra for homegrown discovery and beauty brands.
Bejeweled in Bombay
This store right at the tip of Colaba Causeway is the stuff of dreams for gemstone and jewellery enthusiasts. Their range of silver and gold jewellery has something for every budget. They even incorporate real diamonds into sterling silver tennis bracelets if you want to look festive but don’t want to go all the way out. The father-daughter duo of Manoj and Tanya Punjabi are meticulous with customising gemstones across tourmalines, garnet, emeralds, topaz, morganite, and more in the precious metal of your choice. You can hit up the store for basic requirements such as studs and daily-wear chains as well as more elaborate wedding or gifting needs.
Single stone silver jewellery from Rs 1,000
18 K gold jewellery from Rs 25,000
Sonal Beads (map), Marine Lines
The store is inside the labyrinthic JM compound of Bhoiwada lane in Marine Lines East, so you might get a bit lost locating the place. But trust me, it’s worth it. The wholesale shop has everything for jewellery making including beads, charms, pliers, hooks, and chains. And you don’t necessarily have to be a fashion student or aspiring jeweller—this is a fun place for anyone to pick up exciting pieces at wholesale prices. DIY night with friends or a gift set for a niece are possibilities. The beads come in every Y2K, floral, pearl, heart, crystal shape in every material from glass to acrylic and metal.
You need to purchase a minimum stock of Rs 1,000—with Fridays as an exception of Rs 700
If you pay in cash they may let you pay under the minimum amount
Vinyl collectibles
Abdul Razzak Stall/Royal Music Collection (map), Fort
This one’s great for the classics. The man’s been there forever (since 1979) and has everything from boomer rock to disco, Hindi film LPs, and pop favourites, hip hop, and indie millennial albums. Razzak will let you browse through his collection, painstakingly scour through his inventory, demo play a record for you, and enthusiastically recommend his new arrivals.
LPs start at Rs 2,000 for domestic pressings; Rs 4,000 onwards for imported records
The Revolver Club (map), Bandra
The beloved record store has shifted to a shiny new location from Mahim to Bandra. Apart from official album listening sessions, they also host fun album anniversary do’s and sets from vinyl DJs. Drop in here for any of those, but most importantly, pick up any modern or timeless record. The usual jazz, rock, classical is of course well stocked—but you can hope to find dream pop, Indian indie, alt pop, electronica, and everything in between. If you sign up, you get a sweet 5% discount and can even request a record that they can source especially for you. The staff will weigh in on your haul, if you need help with decision making as well.
LPs start at Rs 3,000 and can go up to Rs 9,000
Perfumes
BIRRA Fragrances (map), Bandra
Not only do they have dupes of fashion house staples like Flora by Gucci or Libre by Yves Saint Laurent or Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, they also provide refillable perfume options. The Linking Road store has vials and dispensing tubes panelled across the walls to refill any designer favourite. You can comb through their recreation booklet or buy one of their own creations. The perfumes are pure oil, without alcohol, and the collection is diverse, ranging from floral to aquatic, woody to fruity.
Prices range from Rs 590 for 30 ml to Rs 4,000 for 100 ml
Apparel
Polite Society flagship store (map), Bandra
While the atelier also makes T-shirts, body suits and loose pants, it’s the corset and lace you should come here for. Think Dilara Findikoglu meets Vivienne Westwood—rich olives, chocolate lace, textured denim. Their sheer skirts and corset bodysuits will serve you well for that hedonist-party-girl-who-has-one-of-those-jobs-that-nobody-understands aura. A new addition is the ‘apolitical turns me off’ statement tee that I plan to pick up soon! They have sales around January and June, so keep that in mind as well.
Tees start at Rs 3,000; Corsets and skirts start at Rs 6,000
Honourable mention: Bombay Closet Cleanse Thrift Store, Bandra for vintage finds
Home & gifting
Ceramic Hawkers/Thelawallas, Pali Naka and Hill Road
These guys can be found in and around local train stations, but I primarily go to the ones at Hill Road (map) (several hawkers) and Pali Naka (near Miya Kebabs (map)). Instagram and Pinterest finds including polka dotted quarter plates, pastel coffee mugs, hand painted ramekins, sugar and salt jars—all on a hand pushed cart. Don’t waste your money on exorbitant online delivery fees, I say.
P.S.: They don’t always negotiate.
Prices start at Rs 100
Essajees, Colaba
Chandeliers, baroque vases, bronze idols, and more with an old-world charm. They customise chandeliers if you’d like—pick between the aesthetics of a Bhansali film or the ’20s jazz age—they’ve got you (crystal) covered.
Price on request
Honourable mention: Furniture stores at Raghuvanshi Mills (map), Lower Parel for everything from ottomans to vanities
Foodie corner
Farmer’s Store (map), Bandra
Pick up A2 dairy products from free grazing cows, or small batch ketchup, indigenous millets, homegrown cheese. The all-organic farm produce is fresh and makes for an ethical choice. Founded in collaboration with organic activist Kavita Mukhi, you can also aim to hit up the Farmer’s Market in Bandra (near Carter Road) every Sunday morning to buy chemical-free produce from Maharashtra farmers directly.
Prices start at Rs 200
Honourable mentions: A1 Bakery (map) + J Hearsch and Co bakery (map) (Bandra) for their veg, chicken, and mutton puffs; Neelam Foodland (Khar) (map) for theplas, khakras and healthy snacks; Foodstories (map) (Broadway, Bandra) for caviar and imported snacks (American, Korean and more); Bombay Sweet Shop (multiple outlets) for the dark chocolate kaju katli.
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Arunima Joshua is a music and culture journalist who has pledged an undying allegiance to Bombay’s Bandra suburb.
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