Nearly two-and-a-half months after the coronavirus cast a dark shadow over retail trade, a limited number of shopping malls, restaurants, wayside eateries and tea stalls admitted customers in a severely restricted manner on Tuesday. The restaurant industry, hobbled by the lockdown, appeared to focus more on home deliveries and takeaways, which accounted for the bulk of their business. Many popular restaurants remained closed due to non-availability of staff given the dearth of public transport. The few shopping malls that opened were bereft of teeming crowds of families with raucous children in tow. Several air-conditioned shopping complexes that vaguely qualified as malls also remained shut.

Source: The Hindu June 09, 2020 17:25 UTC