Corona crisis hits supermarkets: trade association warned - "All hamsters now have enough toilet paper"

The coronavirus pandemic has a massive impact on social life. How do Germany's supermarkets react to Covid-19? All information in the news ticker.

• The corona virus * has the Federal Republic under control and also has an impact on the country's supermarkets .
• Hamster purchases have increased throughout Germany recently.
• How do supermarkets react to the Corona crisis?
• Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany as a map. The following recommendations for corona protective measures are currently available.
  
  

Update from April 2 : Happy customer from the retail trade: "At last, there is calm on the hamster front," says the managing director of the Bavarian trade association, Bernd Ohlmann , in Munich. The supply situation is becoming more and more relaxed. "Reason is slowly taking hold."

In the meantime, the chance to stand in front of empty shelves for products that are particularly sought after has decreased , Ohlmann said. Customers are realizing that the supply of goods is secure - and they have now built up stocks . "All hamsters now have enough toilet paper," he emphasized.

Corona crisis: supermarkets fear branches run at Easter - and urge customers

Update from April 1 : The supermarkets are currently quite empty due to the exit restrictions. This could change at Easter - and lead to considerable disabilities , the Food Retail Association (bvlh) raises the alarm. Easter is one of the most important festivals in Germany. Traditionally, a lot of shopping was done beforehand, said the spokesman for the association, according to the Hamburger Morgenpost - and appealed to customers to plan Easter purchases early.

Corona crisis: Rewe and Aldi Süd with a surprise for hard-working employees

Update from March 24th : Supermarket employees work hardest in the Corona crisis - and should now be rewarded for it. Rewe wants to reward its employees and the employees of the subsidiary Penny with a bonus for their efforts. For this, the group will take more than 20 million euros in hand, said a Rewe spokesman when asked by dpa .

"These are quick and unbureaucratic first measures to give our employees a clear message: We not only say thank you for their tireless efforts in this difficult exceptional situation, but we also honor their commitment in a financially noticeable way, " emphasized the spokesman. The amount depends on the function and whether you work full-time or part -time.

Supermarket employees toil during Corona crisis: Aldi Süd plans bonus

The bonus payment is posted as credit to the employee cards. This has the advantage that the amount benefits the employees practically as a net payment .

At Aldi Süd , too, employees may soon be able to look forward to a bonus . "We are currently thinking about how we can show our employees that they can be shown their commitment," said a company spokesman.

Corona in Cologne: One dm branch attached eight identical toilet paper information slips.

Corona and toilet paper: Rewe customer captures a view that cannot be doubled

Coronavirus: Aldi is emotional and gives the all-clear

Update of March 23, 2020, 3:31 pm: In times of the corona crisis, supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl have to pass a stress test . Producers, suppliers and employees in the discounters are of course particularly affected. Aldi Süd now thanks publicly. "We have always believed that you can do everything together." With these warm words, Aldi Süd addresses all consumers and employees on Instagram . In addition, Aldi gives the all-clear : All markets are open as usual until further notice. "The supply chains in our branches are stable overall ".

Check out this post on Instagram

#Get togetherGet everything: let's stick together in these times! THANKS to all of our employees, suppliers and producers for their tireless efforts. All with the goal of supplying you with everyday products, especially now.

A post shared by ALDI SOUTH (@aldisuedde) on Mar 16, 2020 at 1:58 p.m. PDT

Aldi said in his report that all necessary measures are taken to support in this difficult situation. The discounter had already taken a measure at the beginning of March:

Disinfectant

were in special sales.

The G20 countries and the European countries agreed in a summit on the corona crisis. Angela Merkel provides a video statement about the results.

Update from March 21, 2020, 2:41 p.m .: Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Rewe and Penny are currently installing plexiglass panes at the cash registers of many branches - to protect them from droplet infections. "As one of many preventive measures, additional disinfectants and disposable gloves are provided at short notice to protect our employees," said a spokesman for Aldi Nord . According to a spokeswoman, Lidl has set up an internal hotline for the employees. In general, hygiene and distance rules are also made clear by means of signs and floor markings.

Read also: The coronavirus has an impact everywhere, not only in health. Many people are now buying coronavirus hamster purchases. Toilet paper, in particular, is often overpriced afterwards. An Edeka boss is now cracking down on it - with advantages and disadvantages.

Update of March 20, 2020, 3:35 p.m .: The Corona crisis is changing a lot, restaurants must now close or adapt to the new conditions. At the same time, the demand for food has risen sharply. The unusual situation now led to a personnel partnership between the American fast-foot giant McDonald's and the German supermarket chain Aldi .

Exciting cooperation: @McDonaldsDENews employees help out in the #Corona crisis at the #Discounter #Aldi. To this end, the two #companies have formed a personnel partnership. Aldi hires with helpers for a limited time, after that they can return to #McDonalds @welt pic.twitter.com/LSsfvVrpkl

In the future, McDonald's employees can be targeted to the discounter. According to McDonald's Germany boss Holger Beeck, this would create a “win-win situation”. “Our employees can - if they want to - continue to be employed. At the same time, Aldi benefits from additional resources, ”Beeck continued. The workers in the fast food chain could be hired at Aldi for a limited time at the usual conditions there and could also return.

Nicolás de Lope , spokesman for the Board of Directors of Aldi Nord, looks forward to the implementation of the new concept. "We are convinced that we can overcome this crisis with unconventional solutions and strong cohesion." According to de Lope, "special times require special solutions ."

Supermarkets in the Corona crisis: Edeka has to cancel aid campaign in Germany

Update from March 20, 2020, 11.50 a.m .: In many countries, the first supermarket chains are already reacting to the Corona crisis * and are modifying their business hours and conditions. Particular attention is paid to the needs of senior citizens in some countries. In Ireland, for example, Lidl offers an extra shopping time for older people for its 163 branches. Other chains such as Tesco and Iceland in Great Britain and Woolworth in Australia also agreed to this service.

We've been listening to your feedback and we will be implementing priority shopping hours for the elderly across all 163 Lidl stores in Ireland, 9-11am every day, until further notice.

In Germany , a planned aid campaign by the Edeka chain was canceled in advance, despite major announcements. As can be seen on the Facebook page of the Edeka branch "Heitmann Große Bergstraße" in Hamburg, the shops on Sundays should only be open to seniors for a certain period of time.

"To protect employees", they decided against it, as the branch argued on Facebook . Another day of work cannot be expected of the employees, "since many colleagues have already reached the limits of their resilience ." The statement also reads that this applies to all Edeka branches in the northern German sales area.

Supermarkets in the Corona crisis: First attacks on employees in Germany

Update of March 19, 2020, 5:33 p.m .: Hamster purchases continue to occur in Germany. One product that is particularly popular is toilet paper. Since the outbreak of the corona virus, sales of toilet paper have increased nationwide, and shelves in shops are temporarily empty. Individual customers have attacked employees because of the roles.

According to the police, a 47-year-old wanted to buy several packs of toilet paper in a supermarket in Mannheim. Because two employees denied him, the man insulted them first and then tried to punch them with his fist. Another customer interfered and , according to the information, kicked one of the salesmen with his knee on the forehead .

In Bremen, a customer did not want to accept a purchase restriction to just one single pack, as the police said on Thursday. The 41-year-old had therefore messed with the seller in a supermarket and pushed her. Her 45-year-old companion punched a colleague of the employees several times . The woman was banned from the house, the man is being investigated for assault.

Supermarkets react to Corona: are the Sunday opening times coming?

Update of March 19, 2020, 1:13 p.m .: Grocery retailers only want to keep their stores open six days a week despite the loosening of the Sunday opening ban. Rewe (and the discount store Netto), Edeka (and the discount store Penny) as well as Aldi, Lidl and Kaufland said in a dpa survey that customers could also be served as needed with the existing opening hours. The decision is clearly in favor of the employees, as Rewe boss Lionel Souque emphasizes: “With the current workload, we are already demanding a lot from the employees in the markets. And we currently have little reason to believe that anything will change within a very short period of time. ”

Aldi, Lidl & Co: Coronavirus crisis does not change the supply of basic food

Update of March 18, 3:56 p.m .: " Germany is well supplied with local food, " said farmers' president Joachim Rukwied to the German press agency, "There will still be sufficient quantities of basic foodstuffs such as cereals, potatoes, fruits and vegetables."

Germany is not only self-sufficient , but sometimes even exceeds the level of self-sufficiency - it shows what percentage of German consumption is produced in its own country. Wheat was measured at 117 percent , potatoes even reach 148 percent . The supermarkets do not have to worry about the supply of basic food.

In a Lidl branch, the hamster buyers went into full swing and bought a spicy product completely. It has nothing to do with staple foods , however.

In order to ensure the basic supply, these sales outlets should also remain open.

Update of March 19, 11:00 am: Many supermarkets and discounters have taken measures to protect their employees . Some bakery counters are closed at short notice . Customers now only receive packaged bread and baked goods. In addition, due to precautionary measures , Rewe branches in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia have closed salad bars , in which customers usually put together their own salad, in individual cases.

Update from March 16, 13:27: Aldi Süd sends an urgent request to all customers. The company says via Instagram: “Our branches are still open for you . Throughout the entire production and supply chain, everyone is working to maintain supplies so that no one goes empty-handed. ”

Aldi: Covid-19 makes no hamster purchases necessary - "Be solidary"

“ It works very well, ” the discounter reassures him, “so there is no reason to make so-called ' hamster purchases '. Be solidary and think also of your fellow human beings , who may get nothing from unnecessary storage. Therefore, only buy what you really need in the household. The supply is assured. "

Check out this post on Instagram

Thank you!

A post shared by ALDI SOUTH (@aldisuedde) on Mar 16, 2020 at 4:42 pm PDT

Corona: Aldi sets rules of conduct in the market

Short rules of conduct are also listed. A minimum distance of one to two meters to each other is recommended, nothing should be touched unnecessarily and customers are asked to pay by card or contactless if possible. Aldi overwrites these requests with a big “ Thank you! "

Update of March 16: There are wild rumors on the Internet about the reaction of retail and wholesale to the spread of the corona virus . Unfortunately, incorrect information is also distributed via Whatsapp and Co. A fake Focus article provides a particularly serious example.

New opening times of Aldi, Lidl, Edeka? Fake news about closings

New opening times of Aldi, Lidl, Edeka, Kaufland, Penny, Netto and Real are described. They are said to be open for a very short time only on Mondays and Fridays . But this is simply fake news . Aldi has already responded with an official correction.

Corona: Are supermarkets closing now? The opposite is the case

The fact is that the opposite is now to be expected - at least in Bavaria. Prime Minister Söder announces the disaster. While a number of public meeting points such as conference rooms, swimming pools, playgrounds and sports fields are closed, the food trade plays a special role.

The opening times of supermarkets will be extended in the Free State. Shops can be open two hours longer. They don't have to close until 10 p.m.

Corona virus reaction: Rewe and Penny are looking for new employees - fake news “disgusting”

Of course, companies also have to react to this first. Rewe and Penny are already looking for new employees . The frequency of goods delivery is increased, additional staff is needed for the supply, a spokesman said. Meanwhile , he described the fake news as "cynical and disgusting".

Corona: Union criticizes longer opening hours

The Verdi union also commented on the decisions. "Further burdens caused by unnecessary opening times endanger the entire staffing and thus the basic provision of our population", spokesman Hubert Thiermeyer scolded the German Press Agency.

There is enough time to shop, and the food retail workers are currently doing superhuman things . Now they feel left out of politics, because the adjusted opening hours not only increase the workload . Hygienic protection is often lacking and employees are now exposed to the danger even longer .

Hamster purchases, bottlenecks and emergencies - how do Germany's supermarkets react to the corona virus?

First report from March 14: Munich - The coronavirus pandemic affects social life. After major events were recently canceled * and schools closed, Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed in a video message to the population on Saturday that social contact should also be avoided. What does the corona crisis mean for our purchasing behavior?

Corona virus in Germany: supermarket branches are experiencing a surge in demand

From the perspective of industry experts, the restrictions in social life can trigger a surge in demand for food retailers. Since many people are currently staying at home and restaurant visits are being avoided, "the demand for fresh products such as fruit, vegetables and meat is increasing - but also ready meals, because more and more is being cooked at home," as retail expert Markus Hepp told the German Press Agency.

Such a surge in demand can also be seen in the past few days from the fact that people are increasingly making so-called hamster purchases. So do citizens have to worry about going out empty-handed on future purchases? An overview of the situation at Germany's supermarket chains.

• Aldi Süd: The 1,930 branches will definitely remain open. In addition, they are working on “ensuring the availability of goods.” At the same time, the discounter giant made it clear that there could be temporary bottlenecks in the delivery of individual products. Recently, milk, canned goods, pasta and toilet paper became scarce at Aldi Süd.

Toilet paper was only available in small quantities at Aldi Süd.

© private

• Kaufland: Will Kaufland close all branches due to the coronavirus pandemic? This news recently made headlines, but is not true. As the company rightly pointed out on Friday evening, all stores would continue to be “ regularly open .”

Corona crisis: DM and EDEKA limit the number of items for certain articles

• DM: The effects of the hamster purchases are apparently particularly noticeable in the drugstore market. In a branch in Pasing there is even customer information that should regulate the amount of purchases . According to this, only two pieces of disinfectant or a pack of toilet paper should be bought per customer. DM wants to "ensure the supply of many households."

In Pasing, DM has restricted the delivery quantities per customer for articles with particularly high demand.

© private

• Rossmann: The drugstore chain Rossmann has also recently sold out. These related in particular to hygiene articles such as disinfectants.

• EDEKA: There are also purchase restrictions of this kind at some EDEKA branches. A branch in Saxony-Anhalt also limits the number of quantities per customer to other, non-hygiene-related items. The products partly correspond to the so-called emergency set, which experts should have at home for times of crisis. At EDEKA, care is sometimes also taken to pay by credit card instead of cash, as this can minimize the risk of infection *.

Corona virus: Scheuer clarifies: "There is no reason for panicked reactions and hamster purchases"

All in all, Germany's supermarkets seem to be feeling the corona crisis, but they are probably well prepared for it, which Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) confirms to the picture : “ There is no reason for panicked reactions and hamster purchases . We have an eye on how supplies and production in Germany work. ”However, should the situation worsen, a special emergency plan could work.

Corona crisis in Germany's supermarkets? Bundeswehr emergency plan

If other neighboring countries to Germany close the borders after Poland, there would be supply bottlenecks , which the Bundeswehr would have to compensate for and ultimately guarantee the supply. In this context, Scheuer speaks of a “worst case scenario”, which at least does not materialize for the time being - but could at some point occur.

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List of rubric lists: © dpa / Sebastian Gollnow