Security locks of branded shops in city got rusted; about 80 large scale shopping malls and shops remain closed since last one year

​​​​​​THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As sales witnessed unprecedented drops in the first and second wave of the pandemic, about 20-25 per cent of shops and malls in the capital city remain closed. Including six branded shops, nearly 80 large scale shopping malls and other business establishments are under ‘lockdown’ in the district.

Most of the well known vegetarian hotels in the district remain closed since the beginning of the first lockdown imposed in the state. The same is the condition with textile shops and shoe stores. When the covid transmission was brought under control, though certain shops were opened they were closed later as they couldn’t fetch enough revenue even to pay their staff's salary.

Owners of these establishments hope that they might be able to open the business again once the pandemic is brought under control. Hoping this, they have been paying for months the rent of their buildings and taxes to the corporation authorities. But they have no clue how long they can continue like this without resuming their businesses.

With the proclamation of lockdown, many of their products got damaged as they were hoarded for months without selling them. Most of the handmade shoes got damaged due to fungus. As the lockdown period also witnessed heavy rains and a humid climate, certain products also lost their sheen due to that.

The shops which were closed for months, in the first wave of the pandemic started coming back to business when the lockdown was lifted but the second wave took away their hopes. Now the sellers association is in talks with the building owners association to relax one month’s rent.

Sellers and businessmen coordination committee secretary S S Manoj said, “Even though the government has allowed opening textiles, shoe stores and Jewellery after triple lockdown, it has also put the condition that business could be undertaken only with marriage parties. Therefore we are only able to open the shops only for the namesake. Nobody is coming to give orders.”