A large number of Food & Grocery retailers at many places saw a big dive in sales during the April and May lockdown
Progressive Grocer|June 2020
ROSHNA CHANDRAN, FOR PROGRESSIVE GROCER, SPOKE TO TWO LEADING RETAILERS FROM DOWN SOUTH – VEENISH KUMAR UPPOT, MANAGING PARTNER OF VENUS GROUP OF CONCERNS, WHICH OPERATES THE SHEEN BAKERY CHAIN OF STORES IN KANNUR, KERALA AND M. MURALIDHAR RAO, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MODDY’S CONFECTIONERY PVT. LTD, WHICH RUNS THE ICONIC 69-YEAR-OLD MODERN STORES AKA MODDY’S IN THE HILL STATION OF OOTY IN TAMIL NADU – ABOUT THE IMPACT ON BUSINESS DUE TO THE LINGERING LOCKDOWN AND THE PROSPECTS ONCE THE SHUTDOWN IS LIFTED.
A large number of Food & Grocery retailers at many places saw a big dive in sales during the April and May lockdown

When the Government of India implemented the nationwide lockdown on March 25 to control the spread of COVID-19, the entire retail fraternity came to a total shutdown. Only stores providing essential services were operational, which means food and grocery store saw consumers lining up in front of their stores in huge number. Despite most grocery stores doing good business and revenue in the lockdown in rural and urban cities, there were stores who witnessed huge dip in their sales and remained shut due to lack of consumers and information.

It is said that compared to non-food retailers, grocers have done good business during the Covid induced lockdown period. Your comments and reactions.

Veenish Kumar Uppot, Managing Partner of Venus Group of Concerns, which operates Sheen Bakery in Kannur, Kerala: Yes, it is true that the grocers have had more benefits in business in the past two months as compared to non-food retailers. Groceries are an important part of our daily life, especially during a period of crisis like this. When staying in a quarantine, the requirements of groceries is more than ever. This fact alone has helped food and grocery retailers at many places score good business even during the Covid crisis and the ensuing lockdown.

But in our case, where we run a chain of bakery stores, our monthly sales from the food department has seen a major drop of 80%-90%. It has been a really hard time for us with very less number of customers due to the crisis and the short period of timings for running the stores.

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