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Closed business in Cologne (symbol picture): consumer mood struck
Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa
More and more shops in Germany should only open under 2G conditions, so access would then only be granted to those who have been vaccinated or who have recovered.
But even before this rule was widely introduced, German retailers' sales fell unexpectedly sharply.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, the retailer's income in October, adjusted for price (real), fell by 0.3 percent compared to the previous month.
Economists had expected growth of 1.0 percent after sales had already fallen by 1.9 percent in September.
Compared to the same month last year, it actually fell by 2.9 percent in real terms.
"One possible reason for this drop in sales could be the multiple reported delivery bottlenecks in the retail sector," explained the statisticians.
"Some place on the shelf will probably remain empty for Christmas"
The delivery bottlenecks have worsened in the midst of the important Christmas business: 77.8 percent of retailers complained in November that not all goods ordered could be delivered, according to an Ifo survey.
In October it was only 60 percent.
Ifo expert Klaus Wohlrabe predicted: "Some places on the shelf will probably remain empty for Christmas."
Economists fear that difficult months are ahead for retail. "The consumer mood is badly affected by the constant negative news from the Corona front," said the chief economist of Bankhaus Lampe, Alexander Krüger. "The reluctance to spend is now likely to be increased by the chaotic corona crisis policy of the federal and state governments." Since the restrictions mean that fewer and fewer consumers are able to spend their money, the savings accounts are likely to fill up again.
In addition, the industry is watching with concern the planned 2G rules for businesses in many places, from which only those for daily needs should be excluded.
"Introducing 2G nationwide and nationwide in retail would be completely disproportionate and would also miss the mark," said the managing director of the German Trade Association (HDE), Stefan Genth.
Shopping ban for unvaccinated people
The federal and state governments want to discuss these measures by Thursday and then come to joint decisions.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig said in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” that she was firmly assuming that 2G would come into retail.
"It is important that we get this rule across Germany," said the SPD politician.
This also means to some extent a lockdown for the unvaccinated.
Despite delivery problems, the corona crisis and high inflation, the HDE had recently expected record sales in the current Christmas business.
Income should increase in November and December by two percent compared to the same period last year to just under 112 billion euros.
The Christmas business is mainly driven by online trading.
Traditionally, classic gift industries such as the toy trade make more than a fifth of their annual turnover in November and December.
apr / Reuters / dpa