Maharashtra could soon have 24-hour shopping in select malls

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 6, 2019

Local authorities in Maharashtra are considering allowing select malls to open 24 hours a day in a bid to increase business but some doubt the viability of the plan.

Mumbai’s shoppers may soon be able to shop for goods such as clothing and cosmetics 24 hours a day. Maharashtra civic chief Praveen Pardeshi met with both Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray and police commissioner Sanjay Barve on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of allowing certain Mumbai malls to open 24/7, TNN reported. Thackeray told TNN that the meeting covered “reviews and plans of the manifesto and implementation.”

Despite the government’s plan to increase business through longer retail hours, some have security concerns and are unsure if the extra business would make up for the extra investment in manpower and electricity during nighttime hours.

"There is no business by night as the city sleeps so it will be unwise to invest in additional manpower and infrastructure,” clothing store Neemrana Chikankari’s manager Shahnawaz Khan told TNN. The store is located in Link Square Mall in Bandra West, one of the locations proposed for 24-hour shopping. 

“Our store is open until 9pm and most customers finish shopping during peak evening hours,” said Khan. “There is no guarantee that sales will increase during the prolonged hours. We cannot possibly hire staff just to sleep on the job.”