Shops that reopened their doors nearly a fortnight ago after the COVID-19 shutdown are relieved to see business picking up, but some have expressed concern over the repercussions of a potentially delayed tourism season. “We have received positive feedback from retail outlets, especially with an event such as Mother’s Day, as businesses saw an increase in shoppers this week,” the CEO of the Malta Chamber of SMEs, Abigail Mamo, told Times of Malta. Non-essential shops, including hairdressers, lifted their shutters on April 26, after seven weeks of shutdown, as part of Malta’s COVID-19 reopening strategy plan. Mamo said that while a number of retail outlets and businesses reported a busy two weeks, others were still seeing very little business. Strong brands and shopping malls have been the busiest, while smaller shops are still a bit slow, but unfortunately this is becoming a normal trend as the majority of shoppers resort to bigger shops or shopping malls in areas like Sliema or Mosta, she said. “During these two weeks, people had an excuse to go out and shop. People were initially excited to go back to the shops after weeks of closure, while the second week coincided with...