After 5 months, Shaheen Bagh showrooms open but no customers

Showrooms in Shaheen Bagh opened after being closed for five months in view of the anti-CAA protests and COVID-19 lockdown in the area. However, they lacked customers as most of them seemed to be in saving mode due to the pandemic.

New Delhi: Showrooms in Shaheen Bagh have finally opened after five months of a lockdown, adhering to the odd-even formula prescribed by the state government. Shaheen Bagh was closed since December 15 midnight when protests against the CAA began and continued till the lockdown was announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The area which connects Faridabad, Delhi to Noida houses more than 200 showrooms of prominent brands including Raymond's, Spykar and Allen Solly.

Rizwan Ahmed who owns a Spykar showroom said "we have opened but their is no sale as we have not seen any footfall in the shops since they opened".

The shopkeepers say that they have incurred huge losses due to the closure of the shops and if the footfalls don't increase they will not be able to bear the running costs including rents.

Shopowners like Rizwan don't have to pay rent but many are worried. Raymond's showroom owner Ansar Ahmed says two seasons have been lost -- the wedding season due to roadblocks and Eid due to the pandemic.

Allen Solly showroom owner Nasir says sarcastically that there is no need of social distancing as there is no one to step inside the shops and they are waiting for the situation to normalise.

Rizwan Ahmed also points out that most of the people who used to shop are salaried class workers but they are spending less due to risk factors and people are in saving mode.

The economic crisis has devastated the business and the complete closure for five months has made them bankrupt, says another showroom owner.

Inputs from IANS

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