Re-opened after 47 days, shops in Chennai rue lack of customers

Despite the Tamil Nadu government relaxing restrictions and allowing 33 sectors to reopen retail outlets after 47 days of the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, not many showed interest in reopening their shops due to lack of business. For the few who reopened their shops this week, there were only a handful of takers.

“It has been three days since I opened my hardware shop and I have sold products worth only ₹500. The profit out of these products would not even tally with the electricity bill that I have incurred in these three days. So, I even switched off the fan in the shop,” says S Lakshmi, a hardware shop owner in KK Nagar, Chennai.

It is not just Lakshmi; even keepers of standalone textile shops that were opened in Pondi Bazaar complained the same. “Earlier, people used to purchase for a minimum of ₹500. But, now, even if five people come, they altogether purchase for ₹250. The only items purchased was night dress and handkerchiefs,” says S Amudha, a shopkeeper in Pondy Bazaar.

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However, Amudha says, she has come to work not to take home profit but to pay the pending salary of her staff. “I asked my staff not to come since I already owe them half month’s salary, which I could not pay due to the lockdown. Even the half-month salary I was able to pay was only after borrowing money from my relatives,” she adds.

The situation is no different for tea shop owners in the city. “People come to tea shops only to drink tea and if they have to take a parcel, they would prepare tea at home itself. The tea parcel business would work only if construction works and other unorganised sectors begin work. Since a lot of migrant workers did not turn up for construction work, even the ongoing construction in the nearby sites have stopped,” says R Viswanathan, a tea shop owner in Ashok Nagar.

He also complains about the rise in the prices of the goods that he purchases. “Before the lockdown, we used to get the products at a wholesale rate, which was less than the maximum retail price (MRP), and then we would sell them at the MRP. But, now, even to us, the wholesale vendors are selling above the MRP. So, we do not have any option, but to increase the prices accordingly. A lot of regular customers are now refraining from purchasing and the sale of bakery items has decreased,” he adds.

The scenario was worse for the roadside pushcart food vendors and some did not even get a single customer.

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“Though I was aware that most of them have returned to their native, I thought of giving a try on Monday by opening my shop to just sell parcels to people. But not a single person came to get food. Usually, we used to open at 7 pm and operate till 11 pm. Still, since restrictions were there, we opened at 5 pm and waited for customers till 8 pm. Not even a single customer turned up for dosa or idli,” says M Kathiravan at MGR Nagar.

“Now that several kilograms of flour was already mixed (for the batter), expecting customers, we are using this flour and eating idli and dosa for all the three meals,” Kathiravan adds.

The government listed 34 kinds of businesses that are allowed to operate from May 11. Two-wheeler and car sales and service showrooms, firms dealing in automobile spare parts, stores selling tiles, construction materials, cement, sanitary ware, household appliances and optical shops were among the 34 kinds of business that were allowed to function.