Vijayawada: Buzz returns to bazaars as business activity picks up

Vijayawada: With gradual increasing of curfew relaxation timings, the trading activity is picking up in the commercial capital of Vijayawada. The second wave of Covid devastated the business activity in the city in May and traders were in hopeless condition due to curfew and drastic fall of business. Now, the traders will recoup their losses.

Traders who are allowed to continue the business up to 5 pm now will be permitted till 10 pm from July 8 onwards. Sales of textiles, garments, groceries, footwear, electric and electronic goods, mobiles etc are gradually increasing and giving some relief to the traders.

Consumers are getting adequate time to visit the shops, super markets and other markets to buy various types of products.

The State government has given permission to reopen cinema theatres, eateries, restaurants, marriage halls and gyms in the state maintaining 50 per cent capacity. It will further help the rotation of money and people will start spending for other needs also.

Initially, shops were permitted to do business from 6 am to 11 am only and relaxation time gradually increased to 2 pm and later up to 6 pm. Traders will be permitted to open the shops till 9pm and curfew will be implemented from 10 pm to 6 am from July 8. So far, curfew is enforced from 6 pm to 6 am.

When curfew was strictly implemented in May and June, businessmen were worried on payment of rents and meeting other expenses due to drastic fall of business. However, the business activity has intensified for the past few weeks and rush is seen at the grocery shops, super markets, garments shops, footwear, restaurants and other places.

K Anil Kumar, general secretary, the Cloth Merchants Association, Vastralatha, Vijayawada, said the trading activity is gradually increasing in recent days and customers are visiting the shops to buy various types of products.

Echoing the same view, Rajiv Arora, president, Furniture Dealers Association, said the business is gradually picking up in the city.

However, he felt that the third wave of Covid is haunting the people and consumers are giving preference to buy essential commodities. The second wave of Covid has huge impact on the trading activity in the city, he said.

K Raja, a grocery trader in One Town, said the traders are hopeful of paying rents in July due to gradual increasing of business activity.