Lockdown extensions, lack of aid, arbitrary classifications: In retail, disbelief is growing about the corona sluggish course of the federal and state governments.
Munich - The situation in stationary German retail is disastrous.
While online senders can hardly save themselves from placing orders, fashion houses, boutiques and shoe stores are simply bleeding to death.
Since the beginning of the second lockdown in mid-December alone, many companies have lost over 80 percent of their sales.
Some retailers, summarizes the head of the Lower Bavarian fashion house Garhammer, Christoph Huber sobered by the months of forced closings, are simply "led to the scaffold" by politics.
But improvement is hardly in sight - on the contrary.
Instead of the lockdown end longingly awaited by the industry on March 8, the shops are now apparently even to remain closed until March 28, according to the current version of the working paper for the Corona summit on Wednesday.
But that doesn't apply to everyone either.
According to the draft, bookstores, flower shops and garden centers will in future be assigned to retail for daily needs without further ado and could therefore reopen as early as Monday.
This is to be granted to the affected owners from the bottom of the heart.
But it also raises a few critical questions, such as whether the assignment is more arbitrary.
And why should shopping in the bookstore be more contagious than in the perfumery next door?
Comment: Open the shops again
Of course, perfumeries, jewelry stores or fashion houses could also be opened just as easily.
Sustainable concepts for a general opening have long existed.
Just a few days ago, the industry initiative “Life belongs in the center” presented a 7-point concept.
In addition to clear access restrictions, this also includes comprehensive hygiene measures, customer guidance systems and regular employee training.
Science has long since given the green light.
The risk of being infected with Covid-19 in a sports shop or men's outfitter is practically as high as in the supermarket, according to a recent study by the TU Berlin on the risk of infection via aerosol particles from February.
The calculations assume an access restriction of 10 square meters per person.
With fewer customers, the risk would decrease accordingly.
If the trade strictly adheres to the hygiene concepts and enforces them consistently together with the authorities, nothing would really stand in the way of opening up with manageable incidences.
Now politicians must finally deliver - otherwise the lights will go out for many companies.
