BHUBANESWAR: The footfall in shopping malls in the city has gone down significantly in the last few days following the announcement by the state government to restrict customers to 50% of their capacity in commercial establishments.
Shopkeepers claimed that they have not yet recovered from the losses suffered during the last two lockdowns, and the fresh curbs seem to be harsher.
“The last few weekends witnessed heavy rush and we did very good business. But all of a sudden Covid cases have started rising and the government imposed restrictions allowing only 50% customers of our capacity. The number of people coming to the mall has gone down to around 20-30% of the capacity compared to last week,” said Saroj Parida, manager of a branded garment store at a city mall.
“With the end of season sale going on in most of the shops and outlets, the drop in footfall has led to a fall in business. With no festivals round the corner, people at this time come for shopping discounts and most shops do brisk business despite a lean season. But with Covid cases on the rise and the fresh curbs, it will lead to less business and losses. We have just started recovering some losses,” said Amarjit Mohanty, another shop owner in the city.
The shop owners said they are following all Covid protocols and asking people to adhere to guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
“We are happy that the government did not announce the closure of malls at one go as it had done during the first and second waves of the pandemic but it is the shopping malls that close first and are allowed to open last unlike standalone shops. But we have to pay rents and pay the staff even if the shops remain closed and there is no business,” said Rakesh Sahu, a shop owner in a mall at Kalpana Square.
Bhubaneswar: The footfall in shopping malls in the city has gone down significantly in the last few days following the announcement by the state government to restrict customers to 50% of their capacity in commercial establishments.
Shopkeepers claimed that they have not yet recovered from the losses suffered during the last two lockdowns, and the fresh curbs seem to be harsher.
“The last few weekends witnessed heavy rush and we did very good business. But all of a sudden Covid cases have started rising and the government imposed restrictions allowing only 50% customers of our capacity. The number of people coming to the mall has gone down to around 20-30% of the capacity compared to last week,” said Saroj Parida, manager of a branded garment store at a city mall.
“With the end of season sale going on in most of the shops and outlets, the drop in footfall has led to a fall in business. With no festivals round the corner, people at this time come for shopping discounts and most shops do brisk business despite a lean season. But with Covid cases on the rise and the fresh curbs, it will lead to less business and losses. We have just started recovering some losses,” said Amarjit Mohanty, another shop owner in the city.
The shop owners said they are following all Covid protocols and asking people to adhere to guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
“We are happy that the government did not announce the closure of malls at one go as it had done during the first and second waves of the pandemic but it is the shopping malls that close first and are allowed to open last unlike standalone shops. But we have to pay rents and pay the staff even if the shops remain closed and there is no business,” said Rakesh Sahu, a shop owner in a mall at Kalpana Square.
