Want to stay open till 8 pm at least: Shop owners’ association

People outside a shop at Dadar market. File pic/Shadab Khan

The shop owners' association wants the state government to extend the closing time for non-essential businesses for the sake of both their employees and also the economy. This will also give them a chance to compete with the e-commerce industry, which currently has complete leeway.

The state government on Friday announced that all the districts should follow Level 3 restrictions, which means shops can remain open from Monday only till 4 pm. This did not sit well with the retailers, who say the restrictions are leading to heavy losses, making it difficult to manage the staff's salaries and pay rent.

Reconsider curbs

Traders said while Delhi reopened malls, shops, theatre with 50 per cent capacity, restaurants and banquet hall with 50-people capacity, Maharashtra has chosen to go back to Level 3, dealing a massive blow to businesses. They have urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to reconsider the restrictions.

A woman buys a kids' tricycle at Kurla. File pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) President Viren Shah has written to the authorities to push the closing time of non-essential businesses to 8 pm, for the sake of economic revival.

‘We can open late'

Traders are ready to open late, at 11 am instead of 7 am. "We are fine if non-essential shops open from 11 am to 8 pm across Maharashtra, as this will be a level playing field to compete with e-commerce platforms which have no limitations on timings. Why should only we suffer?" asked Shah.

Reiterating what the industry has been saying for a long time, Shah said most non-essential shops do business around noon and in the evening, so it makes sense to delay the closing hours.

"If our shops are open till 8 pm, there will be enough business to pay rent, salary and even overheads. We only request a few extra few hours in the evening for practical purposes. We urge the state's Covid-19 task force and various disaster committees to discuss our proposal and help the revival of small businesses with a solution."

7 am-4 pm
The current opening hours of non-essential businesses