After a gap of more than four months, the Maharashtra government has finally given a go-ahead to malls to restart operations from August 5. Allowing malls to open up has been one of the biggest demands from the retail industry.
Maharashtra has more than 75 malls, with almost 50 percent spread across Mumbai MMR, Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai Dombivli, etc.
Similarly, Pune has more than 20 percent malls while the rest are spread across Amravati, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, etc.
Malls are allowed to open, but the government has laid certain restrictions. The malls will only be allowed to open from 9 am to 7 pm, curtailing the operational hours.
Restaurants, food-court and theatres within mall premises will not be allowed to reopen for the time being.
Under Unlock 3.0, malls are allowed to open but lockdown in Maharashtra has been extended until Aug 31.
“Maharashtra is threatened with the spread of COVID-19. It is expedient to extend the lockdown in the entire state till August 31,” said Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar in a statement of new guidelines issued by the state government.
He added that easing of restrictions and opening up of activities which had remained prohibited across the state would be “done in a phase wise manner with SOPs”.
August 2 is the 132nd day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 17,50,723 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 37,364 deaths.
This reopening comes as a ray of hope for all the retailers and mall developers, but what remains the cause of concern is the customer psyche.
In many parts of the country where malls are allowed to open in June and July such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai people still remain vigilant to visit crowded places like shopping centres despite all the precautionary measures, said mall owners and retailers.
Retailers also said that, despite malls opening up, it would take 15-20 days for customers to warm up.
“Whenever the market opens, it takes 10-15 days for the market to warm up. So, for 15 days, nothing much will happen. After August 20 or 25, we believe customers will start entering malls,” J.Suresh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Arvind Fashions Ltd, told Moneycontrol.
Retailers are skeptical on the large number of footfalls in the malls as food courts and theatres are not yet allowed to open.
“Customers who just come to watch a movie or eat at the food court will not come at all,” said the CEO of a retailer that runs a prominent apparel brand, adding that the restriction in mall timings may also limit footfalls.
What are mall owners saying
Mall-owners believe that re-opening shopping malls will bring economic relief to the lakhs of blue-collared workers and the many businesses dependent on them for their livelihoods.
Furthermore, as malls open and payments initiate, banking institutions could see relief to their stressed balance sheets.
Mall owners said the decision to reopen malls would give a much-needed boost to the retail industry in Maharashtra.
“It is a positive step towards ensuring that India’s consumption story is rekindled,” said Rashmi Sen, Chief Operating Officer Malls - The Phoenix Mills Ltd.
Additionally, to stave off the ill effects of the pandemic and reassure consumers, retailers and shopping center developers are going an extra mile to re-align their strategies to meet the new normal and gain customer confidence.
The whole experience of going to a mall is all set to change with strict guidelines to ensure social distancing norms.
Safety measures
Most malls in Maharashtra including Phoenix Mills which has three flagship malls have incorporated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the safety of customers, retail partners and employees.
The Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) has laid out SOPs, malls, on their own, are also taking additional precautions.
Sanitising tunnels, unidirectional movement of customers and appointment-based visits are some of them.
“Customer safety is paramount to us and we have focussed SoPs around that. We believe that there will be good results, if customers find malls optimally hygienic, safe, and adhering to social-distancing norms,” said Amitabh Taneja, Chairman, SCAI.
Sanitisation tunnels and unidirectional movement
“We have installed sanitising tunnels at various entrances for the customers and the staff, respectively,” said Manoj K. Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Viviana Mall located in Thane, Mumbai.
These tunnels would spray an US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved chemical as a fine mist below the shoulder level. The mall is also planning a unidirectional movement of customers – with the help of floor markers and signage -- in common areas, and contactless billing in retail stores.
Usage of alternate urinals and washbasins, and sensor-based taps and soap dispensers are the other measures. Only a certain number of customers, based on the size of individual retail stores, will be allowed in.
Besides, children up to 10 years of age and senior citizens above 60 years will initially be asked to not visit the mall. Many other precautionary methods like touchless sanitiser dispensers, queueing up with social distancing at all stores, and UV-enabled baggage scanners are already in place.
Korum Mall in Thane has a system of ‘appointment-based’ visits. It requires pre-registering with the mall, which helps them track footfall and maintain optimum number of customers at any given point of time.
“A contactless interface is in place for food and beverage partners like restaurants and food courts, where a customer can scan a QR code to avail offers and discounts, besides making payments. Pre-ordering food from food courts while shopping or watching a movie is also possible. We plan to have dedicated shopping hours for pregnant women and senior citizens,” a Korum spokesperson said.
SCAI Chairman Taneja sums it up, “All social media platforms and media channels are being utilised to spread awareness around hygiene measures. Medical staff will also be deputed to ensure safety to customers.”
Currently, malls are operational in major Metros and Tier-I cities. Cities which have opened malls include Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and small but populous cities such as Agartala, Bhopal, Siliguri, Raiganj, Indore, and, more recently, Cuttack, to name a few.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
