Covid-19 crisis: Nearly 10,000 mobile retail stores shut in the past year

In the past year, thousands of handset retail stores – about 8 per cent of the total of 120,000 - have shut as a result of  lockdowns and e-commerce giants enticing consumers with discounted phones.  

The north India region, the largest market among all four zones of the country, has seen the worst, according to market analytics platform PredictiVu, with close to 10 per cent of outlets closing. North India typically contributes over 35 per cent of the total handset sales.

The western region, contributing nearly 30 per cent of sales, has seen 9 per cent of shops shut, followed by 6