SHILLONG: Apparel and textile shop owners in the city have been breathing easy after the government allowed them to resume business from Friday, but most of them barely saw customers in the first two days.
The fear of the shop owners is that getting back to pre-Covid days will take a considerable time. Unless movement of people becomes normal and the prevailing restrictions lifted, footfall of customers is unlikely to grow.
Most traders are happy that they are able to reopen their shops, which is a shade better than remaining confined at home. They don’t expect that there would be much business right away since the people are still gripped by fear of Covid-19 and in mood yet to go for shopping clothes and apparel.
When The Shillong Times visited shops in Police Bazar on Saturday, most of them were devoid of customers. “There was no customer in the two days. Things have been bleak from last December and now business is completely gone. I wonder what our future is going to be,” said Dilip Paul of a leading sari shop “Shankar Bastralaya”.
Makhanlal Kainth, proprietor of “Anita Shop and Tailoring” housed in the same building as Paul’s shop, will open his shop next week as he did not get permission this week. “Not all shops have got permission. I know customers will be few or nil but at least time will be spent in the shop instead of staying at home,” he said.
There is no business but expenses like rent for shop space and staff’s salary remain. Both Paul and Kainth have paid rent till April. “We have to pay our employees too or else how are they going to survive,” asked Kainth, who has five employees.
Neil Jatiani proprietor of “Style Craft”, a prominent readymade apparel shop, said he was happy that shops were finally allowed to open after 75 days. “There were rats in the shop when we opened on Friday. We cleaned everything but at least nothing is damaged,” he added.
The shop has a tailoring section but all the workers have left. Many customers who had placed orders before the lockdown are yet to collect their clothes. “Many people do not know that the shop is open. I have listed some names and numbers of customers so that they can be informed,” said Jatiani, who got some customers in two days.
When asked about the next date of business, Jatiani said he was not sure.
At “Babla’s”, there were 50 per cent of its employees on duty as social distancing is a factor. All the staff was ready to welcome customers wearing masks and gloves. “There is sanitizer and we want to encourage buyers to use gloves too,” said an employee.
Each shop will get two days a week for business but “that is not enough to recover the losses”, feel traders and want more days for business. At normal times tourists make a large chunk of buyers at Police Bazar but with tourism has come to a grinding halt, business has slumped.
Most of the traders apprehended that the next six months would be tepid but some among them, like the employees at Babla’s, are hopeful that business will pick up as the festive season approaches. “At least 30-40 per cent sales (as compared to last year) will be there I reckon,” said an optimistic employee.