For the retail businesses here, be it jewellery or textiles, this festival season seems to bring near-normal sales despite the challenges of COVID-19 spread.
The commercial hubs including Gandhipuram and Oppanakara Street are seeing public thronging the shops. There are queues in front of some of the major outlets.
“The major retailers are trying their best to regulate the shoppers. But, awareness should improve among the public,” says one of the traders. Some textile showrooms are not permitting customers to try out the clothes as a precaution against disease spread.
According to C. Balasubramanian, vice-president of Federation of Trade Associations of Coimbatore, though some sectors are not having the expected sales, the crowd on the roads is high in all the commercial areas. And almost every one is wearing masks. The small traders are unable to ensure all the precautionary measures. But, the large scale ones are doing their best to regulate the shoppers.
The crowd was high during weekdays too as the schools were having only online classes. In general, the trade expected sales to be almost like last year, he said.
Jewellery outlets usually see better sales after Deepavali. This year too, the crowd is similar to last year. The outlets have switched off ACs and provide sanitisers. They check the temperature of customers. However, it is difficult to ensure physical distancing. The footfalls are also not steady and vary every day, say jewellers here.