Effects of Load shedding on Retail Business: A Glimpse from Hyderabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Retail markets provide wide range of goods for public, reliable electricity supply is considered to be vital for the operations of retail businesses. Pakistan has been facing serious energy crisis which have severe effects on all spheres of life from academia to industries. Literature is found about effects of loadshedding on socio economic life, industry, SMEs and education. This is first type of its study that focused the loadshedding issues in retail market. This study is based on a quantitative survey using closed-ended questionnaire. Sample consists of 262 was randomly selected from retail market of Hyderabad. Data was analyzed using SPSS 22.0 in terms of Bar Charts and multiple regression. Results show that 65 percent respondents stated there is 6 to 8 hours loadshedding in their area, 55.3 percent use UPS as alternative for electricity, 49 percent of them said that their 75 percent to 100 percent operations depend on electricity, 40 percent stated that loadshedding has affected their business 50 percent to 75 percent. ‘Problem in dealing customer’ and ‘Decrease in sales’ and ‘Waste of time’ were found to be the main factors that effect on business due to loadshedding, while other factors like ‘increase in cost’, ‘waste of time’, ‘product damage’ and ‘health problems’ were also found to be effects of loadshedding. It is imperative to take result oriented actions rather raising slogans to end it or remain oblivion because it is concern for the public at large and we all are beneficiaries of retail markets.