Some shops reopen, many decide to wait and watch

At Anandha Stationery in Adyar, which reopened after 44 days, those not wearing masks or maintain social distancing are barred from buying goods. “To avoid crowding in the shop, we have asked the customers to place the order over the phone and then collect them. By doing this, they need not wait for a long time and can get their things immediately,” said a staffer.

Many shopkeepers who opened today said they received very few customers. “As this is the first day, there are only a few customers who visited the shop. Also, we have limited staff working at the shop,” said Vijay Raj, who runs a hardware store at Chintadripet.

However, many mobile phone sales and service shops and electronic stores remained shut down.

“Even if we open the shop, we are not sure whether customers will purchase products in this situation. Also, we don’t know whether we will be infected, as people from the containment zones will also be visiting. We are planning to wait for a week to see if there is any improvement. Or else, we will remain closed till lockdown ends,” said Illiyas, who runs The Best Mobile shop in Perambur.

Meanwhile, the shops at Richie Street, the hub of electronic equipment that is one of the most crowded retail areas in the city, have decided to open up only after the lockdown ended, decided the Chennai Electronic Association.