Retailers Association of India asks for clear guidelines on reopening stores across India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jun 2, 2020

The Retailers Association of India has asked the government for a uniform set of guidelines for reopening ‘non-essential’ stores in India following different interpretations of regulations in different states.

 
On June 1, the RAI stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directives for reopening stores has caused confusion for numerous retailers, the Press Trust of India reported. The RAI said in a statement that states including Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Assam consider large stand-alone stores in the same category as malls and so states that they cannot open yet but other states have allowed large retail outlets to reopen.  
 
“Furthermore, states like Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have prohibited stores from operating air-conditioners inside stores,” said the RAI. 

The organisation has asked for standard operating procedures for reopening stores across India. The procedures would cover factors including the number of staff allowed to resume work, the number of customers allowed in stores, and time restrictions for stores. The RAI suggested longer store opening times to allow for a lower density of shoppers in stores at any one time. 
 
“Following a uniform approach to reopening will help states implement the directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs in an orderly manner,” the RAI’s CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said in a statement, the Press Trust of India reported. “More importantly, it will benefit customers and catalyse the rapid reopening of the retail sector.”