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Shopping center in Magdeburg (mid-December 2021)
Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert / dpa
After the Corona winter 2020, many retailers had hoped for a largely more normal Christmas business this year.
The fourth wave thwarted these expectations.
Now the German Trade Association (HDE) takes stock - and complains about a significant drop in sales.
The Christmas business went largely "dramatically bad", said HDE managing director Stefan Genth the "Focus".
"We had some catching up to do with the spring lockdown months by November," Genth said.
"But the positive trend was stopped abruptly by the introduction of the 2G rules."
On average, there was a third less sales with 40 percent fewer customers, Genth reported.
The inner cities are particularly affected.
"And some retailers, especially in the textile sector, have of course been hit even harder when you consider that online trading continues to boom with another plus of 20 percent and the food sector continues to function well," he said.
Genth criticized the 2G rule as "not a medically sensible measure, but was mainly used by politicians to put pressure on the unvaccinated".
It has "long been clear that the shops do not contribute in any way to the infection," he said, referring to the court ruling in Lower Saxony on the suspension of the 2G rule in retail.
"A normal mask requirement is enough again," said Genth.
Everything else is "also incomprehensible and represents a clear unequal treatment, against which many of our members are taking legal action."
There is also "so far no plan for compensation payments," he criticized.
The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Lüneburg temporarily suspended the 2G rule for retailers in Lower Saxony in mid-December.
The court argued that the rule is not currently a necessary safeguard.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) pointed out after the court ruling that 2G is useful in retail and also "much more effective than a mask requirement".
Hope for gifts of money and concern for Omikron
With regard to the further business outlook for retailers, the HDE is cautiously optimistic about the coming days.
»We hope that people will bring vouchers and gifts of money into the shops and we assume that the number of visitors in the city centers will be quite decent.
But that will probably be a long way from the pre-crisis level in 2019, "Genth told the dpa news agency.
The spread of the particularly contagious Corona variant Omikron could deal another blow to retailers in German city centers, the HDE fears.
"If the incidence skyrockets, there will likely be fewer people coming to the city centers," Genth said.
mmq / AFP / dpa
