Mumbai: Relaxation in curbs won't create big revenue for retailers, says Retailers Association of India

As COVID-19 cases dip in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has eased certain restrictions in the city. Essential services shops will now be allowed to remain open from 7 am to 2 pm as opposed to 7 am to 11 am earlier. Non-essential shops will also be allowed to reopen with an alternating system where shops on the right side of the road will be allowed to remain open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while those on the left may remain open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, non-essential shops will remain shut on weekends.

Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of Retailers Association of India shared his views on the latest development. "It is welcome news because it is an indication of the beginning of opening up but we should not read too much into it," he said.

"It is not going to create a big amount of revenue for retailers but it is still some money coming in rather than zero. My expectation is that for the month of May, most of the retailers would have ended up with about -70 percent pre-pandemic," he added.