The spike in COVID-19 cases and restrictions laid down by the State government to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus have led to shops witnessing poor sales at the E.K.M. Abdul Gani Textile Market (Gani Market) here on Tuesday.
The market is visited by merchants from across the State as 740 shops function from Monday evening to Tuesday night while 320 shops function on all days. Brisk business is usually witnessed before festival seasons as merchants purchase garments and other textile items in large quantities and sell them at retail rates in various districts.
Due to the spread of virus, the Corporation banned the functioning of weekly shops as merchants from other districts would visit in large numbers. K. Selvaraj, president, Erode Gani Market Weekly Textile Trader’s Association said that closure of shops affects shopkeepers, merchants, vehicle operators and loadmen as they all have lost their livelihood. He said that normal business is yet to be restored after last year’s lockdown and closing the shops again is causing huge losses to them.
Though daily shops functioned as usual, sales were very low as only a few customers visited the shops and made purchases. “The spike in cases in the past four days is causing panic among the people who are postponing their purchases”, said a trader. Also, the night curfew, fear of crowds and new restrictions are forcing people to stay indoors, the trader added. “Less than 20% sales took place on Tuesday,” a trader said.
Shopkeepers said that they fear that the worst is yet to come which will be in the form of a total lockdown and wanted assistance from the government to overcome the loss.
