Big shops say sales yet to reach pre-pandemic level
Chennai: Pothys, Manyavar, Nalli Silks and Jeyachandran Textiles of T-Nagar in Chennai are witnessing a rise in sales, as festive season is just round the corner, but it is yet to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Though people are returning to normal life, some Covid appropriate norms are not being followed, such as social distancing and the use of masks, in big retail shops with massive crowds. As of today, only 25% of people in Chennai are double vaccinated, as against the national average of 41.29%.
With just 13 days left for Diwali, shopping in big brands has increased, said J Sundar, CEO of Jeyachandran Textiles, though he declined to share the exact sales figures.
“Shopping at Pothy’s brings in festive cheer after 19 months of staying at home,” said, Jaya Aiyer, a customer. But she was concerned about the crowding.
Sundar says sales have dropped in comparison to the pre-pandemic levels. Revenue was low even during the festive season in 2020 and Golu festival this year. But Diwali sales are encouraging.
An ex-employee of Manyavar says Delhi’s Karol Bagh store is their largest, but the T-Nagar’s store had the highest sales before the pandemic; it generated business of Rs. 24.13 crore till March 2020. Post pandemic sales have shown a steady fall of 40 per cent.
Mohammad Yusuf Sami, Area Regional Manager (South) of Manyavar, says customers prefer walk-in shopping for wedding clothing instead of online because it is a one-time affair.
Sami says wedding clothing is very occasion specific and few customers visit again. But, on every new launch, a message is sent to all customers in the database.
The arrival of the festive season saw considerable inflow of people in apex retailers of that area like Manyavar, Nalli Silks, Jeyachandran Textiles and Saravana Stores.
General manager of RMKV stores, Balaji said the number of people coming is way higher than in 2020, and they are all very busy till Diwali. The hustle in T-Nagar reignites the feeling of festivities but the increasing number of people is a matter of concern as Covid-19 protocols are hardly followed.
