Business NOT as usual as AP opens

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh took tentative steps towards normalcy with the opening up of malls, religious places and restaurants in an upgraded response to the withdrawal of lockdown on

Monday.

With the move, the State is almost open one could say with even jewelry shops opening shutters. But the response from consumers and devotees was lukewarm, one could say. It is more of a wait and watch attitude that prevailed among them.

While the restaurants and hotels opened up to serve customers, the footfall at these was not reported to be good except in some restaurants in Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and other towns in the State.

Though the hotel managements claimed to have adopted all precautions, general public was not buying the claim as the sanitization of kitchen zones of these hotels leaves several doubts.

Again, even though the AP Tourism Development Corporation has opened up its hotels and resorts across the state, there was little business, it is reported.

The managements of restaurants and other eating joints are facing staff crunch with several employees having left for their native places. Some of the restaurants did not adhere to the seating norms in the dining halls as was visible in video clips of news channels.

Except in grocery stores and in vegetable and meat shops, customer presence was limited in other shops including bakeries selling cakes and pastries.

A surprise for consumers of electronic and electrical goods was the wait list for items like dish washers and washing machines. Almost all the shops have reported short supply or a long waitlist for these two items irrespective of their makes.

These shops are, perhaps, the only ones doing a brisk business.

However, jewellers are still an unhappy lot with precious 'muhurthams' lapsing by and people preferring simple weddings. But, they are hopeful that money thus saved on lavish weddings would flow towards jewellery buying.

Except in containment and buffer zones, all shops are back to business by reportedly taking all precautionary measures like physical distancing and sanitizing hands with disinfectants.

Though religious places opened for darshan, it was more as a 'trial run" as they called it, with the authorities restricting the numbers and not offering any 'prasadams' and teertham.

Even mosques and dargahs in the State saw very limited believers.