Following the low foot traffic and the limited number of stores that reopened despite the easing of the lockdowns, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said it may take until Christmas before demand picks up.
In a television appearance over the weekend, Lopez said the opening yesterday of barber shops and salons and soon the dine-in services in restaurants may increase foot traffic in retail establishments in as early as three months.
But he said consumers remain cautious in going out, resulting to dampened demand.
Barbers and salons in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) were allowed to open at 30 percent capacity yesterday while those in modified GCQ were allowed at 50 percent capacity starting June 1 in consideration of the 400,000 workers in the sector.
Lopez expressed hope of an early resumption of dine-in services in the restaurant and fastfood industry which has 20,000 establishments that employ a million workers.
The DTI is waiting for the approval by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infections Diseases of the guidelines on dine-in operations at initially 30 percent capacity under GCQ.
