Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems, and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million by the end of the year. This chapter analyses the impact of COVID-19 on livelihood of street vendors in India. The study was conducted in Vijayawada City, Andhra Pradesh, India. The study considered 100 street vendors covering all types of street vendors like food vendors, flower vendors, vegetable vendors, etc. Analysis of the data showed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on the street vendors in the selected cities. During COVID-19, street vendors' revenues, profits, savings, number of customers, and working hours have dropped significantly. At the same time, household spending, debt per provider, and healthcare costs have increased significantly.
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The parallel street vending economy has an estimated daily turnover of Rs 80 crore, and each street entrepreneur/trader employs an average of three individuals as employees, partners, or commission workers. They all make a living, albeit a meager one. According to the National Hawkers Federation, 50% of street vendors sell food. Vendors sell at least 35 percent of the fruits and vegetables sold in urban areas and in far-flung, isolated rural locations. Clothing, plastic products, unbranded china, cutlery, and household goods are sold by the remaining 20% of vendors. The shutdown has had a significant economic impact on the supply chain and informal sector production lines, which have shut down as hawkers have left the streets Clothing, plastic products, unbranded china, cutlery, and household goods are sold by the remaining 20% of vendors. The shutdown has had a significant economic impact on the supply chain and informal sector production lines, which have shut down as hawkers have left the streets (Mukherjee, 2020). As self-employed entrepreneurs, street vendors operate in a “low circuit” economy, which has been completely disrupted by the lockdown. The shutdown was established when the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded as the key preventive strategy to halt the virus's spread over the world. India also had one of the most severe nationwide lockdowns, with the informal sector employees bearing the brunt of the consequences. As self-employed entrepreneurs, street vendors operate in a “low circuit” economy, which has been completely disrupted by the lockdown. The shutdown was established when the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded as the key preventive strategy to halt the virus's spread over the world. India also had one of the most severe nationwide lockdowns, with the informal sector employees bearing the brunt of the consequences. (Sonu R. Meher et al.)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Purchase Intention: Purchase intention can be construed as the individual’s subjective probability that he or she will purchase a given product.
Non-Deceptive Counterfeiting: It is the form of counterfeiting in which consumers know the products that they are purchasing are counterfeits products, and not genuine products.
Counterfeit Branded Products: Counterfeit branded products are the illegitimate facsimiles of genuine branded products. Such products encroach on the intellectual property rights owned by a legal manufacturer.
Attitude: Attitude may be defined as a learned predisposition to respond to an object in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner.