Rise in 'Omicron' cases sharp drop in mall footfalls

08 January 2022, Mumbai:

The rise in COVID-19 Omicron cases is leading to a sharp drop in footfalls in mall s in metros including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

As per a Fashion Network report, footfalls in top metros have dropped by around 15 per cent to 25 per cent though mall operators expect the current retail restrictions to be just a short term measure.

Delhi has imposed a weekend curfew beginning this week. This will cause malls and ‘non-essential’ high-street stores to close on Saturday and Sunday for the foreseeable future and is expected to further bring down mall sales but a full-scale lockdown appears unlikely at present.

Mumbai currently does not have any retail restrictions. It has kept most mall open leading to higher footfalls. However, the city reported over 20,000 positive Covid-19 cases in less than 24 hours on Thursday. This has led to calls for more restrictions to be put in place.

The state government may soon impose stricter restrictions to avoid a healthcare crisis.

January is usually one of the largest-scale sale seasons of the year, especially for fashion retailers. However, brick-and-mortar stores are keeping promotions muted in 2022 due to the current climate.

Prior to these restrictions, sales had reached the pre-COVID levels and retailers expect this disruption to be of short term, says PushpaBector, Executive Director, DLF Retail.

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