Govt decision to open shopping centres from June 8 will help ease pressure: SCAI

The government's decision to allow shopping centres and malls to open from June 8 will help ease enormous pressure that the industry was facing due to the lockdown, Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) said on Saturday.

Welcoming the steps announced in the fresh guidelines by the Home Ministry, SCAI Chairman Amitabh Taneja said, "Revival and resurgence is a long process, which has just about begun".

"The relaxation is certainly going to help ease an unimaginable amount of pressure that was put on the industry following the lockdown."

Taneja said SCAI will await further information from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) to ensure the guidelines are followed in letter and spirit.

Pacific Malls Executive Director Abhishek Bansal hailed the decision and said: "We will follow all the guidelines of central and state governments and will run our malls responsibly".

Ambience group's Aman Gehlot too welcomed the decision. The company has shopping malls in Delhi and Gurugram.

DLF Shopping Malls Executive Director Pushpa Bector said: "We welcome the directive from the government of India, we have been preparing ourselves well over the past two months and are geared up to open our malls".

The safety and well being of its employees, customers and partners continue to be of utmost importance and the malls will follow all social distancing guidelines, she said.

"Right from the temperature checks at the entrance, 3-steps rollovers at escalators, permanent distance markers in the elevator, repeated sanitisation of common places including washrooms; we are positive to enable a safe yet enjoyable shopping experience to our customers," Bector said.

Unity group Director Harsh Bansal said: "It's a great move. We are ready with SOP. It will certainly save lot of employment and good tax collection too".

Shopping centres and malls were shut after the government imposed nationwide lockdown from May 25 to control the spread of the coronavirus disease. This resulted in huge revenue losses for both mall owners and their tenants -- retailers, cinemas and food businesses.