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A closed S. Oliver branch at the end of January 2021
Photo: imago images / SKATA
Around a quarter of the textile traders in Germany plan to use lawsuits to force their closed shops to open.
This is the result of a current survey by the German Retail Association (HDE).
In addition to the fashion retailer Breuninger, this also includes companies such as Ernsting's Family.
S. Oliver is also considering going to court.
"The S. Oliver Group is examining a constitutional complaint because we see massive unequal treatment and our property rights are being curtailed," says company boss Claus-Dietrich Lahrs.
"We as a fashion retailer were arbitrarily closed, although we have already successfully applied hygiene concepts."
The food retail trade with much higher frequencies shows, despite significantly higher customer numbers, that "there is no increased risk of infection and that safe opening is possible with hygiene measures," Lahrs continues.
"Current studies and the latest assessment by the RKI prove this."
Breuninger, a fashion chain in southern Germany, is also crazy.
A sophisticated hygiene concept has been presented since last summer, which has even been praised by the state government in Baden-Württemberg, says a spokesman.
The fashion retailer has invested almost a million euros: among other things, in floor stickers, disinfectant dispensers and an app for better visitor management.
"The concept ensures that both employees and customers are safe when they shop with us," said the company.
"But it didn't bring anything." Instead, politics shuttled from incidence to incidence, but did not initiate any concepts of how to open.
"That's why we're now taking legal action."
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Closed: The Thalia bookstore chain wants to sue
Photo: Manfred Segerer / imago images
The bookstore chain Thalia is also suing the lockdown and calling for a "bridge by September" to be built, if enough people are likely to be immune to the virus.
"We need an opening from March," says Thalia boss Michael Busch.
“The situation is dire.
Anyone who is still alive now shakes. "
The DIY chain Obi is also going to court.
Because from March 1st, DIY stores are only allowed to reopen in Bavaria.
In almost all federal states, according to the current status, only the garden centers can be unlocked.
Shopping in hardware stores is safe, says Obi.
According to the hygiene concept, every customer would have at least 50 square meters of sales area - with an average operating area of 7,500 square meters.
"This is where the high room height, the large number of open spaces and the possibility of efficient air exchange through natural and mechanical ventilation have an impact," the company announced.
Scientific studies by the Max Planck Institute and the TU Berlin have shown: "The likelihood of infection in a hardware store tends towards zero." In addition, people almost always travel by car or bicycle.
In fact, a study by the TU Berlin indicates that the risk of infection is significantly lower in a supermarket than in a swimming pool or a multi-person office.
In the calculations, however, the researchers assumed that everyone present would adhere to the hygiene and distance rules.
For example, people jostling at a cash register were not taken into account.
The German Trade Association (HDE) has calculated the sales losses that threaten if the lockdown is extended and the aid continues to fail.
Should the stores not reopen until April, retail sales would fall by another four percent compared to the crisis year 2020.
If the shutdown lasts until May, it is even six percent.
Compared to 2019, the numbers are even more disastrous: for the clothing, shoes and jewelry trade, an opening in March would mean a minus of 23 percent, an opening in April even a minus of 29 percent.
According to the HDE calculations, the latter would be 37 billion euros in sales losses for the industry.
It is said that sales of around 700 million euros were lost for each closed sales day.
A recent HDE survey shows that 57 percent of retailers expect to have to give up their business in the course of the year.
In addition to a gradual opening, there should also be better help, demands the HDE.
The state rescue packages are partly "hot air", they are limited and full of restrictive footnotes, says Timm Homann, head of the Ernsting's Family group of companies and HDE vice president.
Last year only 90 million aid payments for retailers were received.
Among other things, the HDE calls for the new bridging aid III to be extended to large companies.
"We need tailor-made and quick government support and, above all, an opening perspective, otherwise the lights will tend to go out in many inner cities in the coming weeks," said HDE boss Stefan Genth on Thursday in Berlin.
"We now need to get started with the exit."
Icon: The mirror
With material from dpa
