After the turn of the year major changes in shopping await citizens.
That also has a financial impact.
What consumers can expect in the new year 2021.
The year
2021
holds formative
changes
in
store
for consumers when shopping in Germany
.
The
lowering of the value added tax
will be stopped, and
less plastic
will get into the environment.
We provide an overview of the
most important innovations
for consumers after the turn of the year.
Berlin / Munich - Shopping is one of the few activities that can
still be carried out outside the home
despite the
Corona crisis
.
However, this does not happen without restrictions - be it the mask requirement or the contact restrictions to protect against
infection with Sars-CoV-2
.
In addition, reduced VAT rates have been in effect nationwide since the middle of the year, the meaning and purpose of which is debatable.
In 2021, consumers in Germany will be confronted with new changes when shopping.
These have a direct impact on the
wallet
, are intended to
improve
the manufacturing process
or serve to protect the
environment
.
Here we present the most important measures for the new year:
Changes in 2021: VAT will rise again - online shopping as a sales driver
Value added tax:
As of January, the regular rate of
19 percent
applies to
most goods and
7 percent
for everyday goods.
Since July 2020, the federal government had
reduced
VAT in Germany
due to Corona for half a year so that citizens
can
continue
to spend money
despite the difficult time
and thus support the
economy
.
Corona protective measures:
The restrictions on infection
protection
apply until January 10th.
For the time being until January 10th this means for
supermarkets and
drugstores:
mask requirement and minimum distances
.
The federal and state governments will probably decide on January 5, 2021 how things will continue. An extension until at least the end of January appears inevitable, so there could be easing in this regard from February at the earliest.
+
Woman at a fruit shelf in the supermarket: a lot will change for consumers in 2021.
© Imago / Moritz Wolf
Pickups:
Electronics stores, fashion retailers, and hardware stores are among the businesses that have closed in the recent lockdown.
Those who want to shop there will probably have to
wait
until the
end of January 2021
.
However: The collection in the branches should be made possible nationwide.
Individual chains have presented hygiene concepts, and shortly after the turn of the year they will be put to the test.
This is already possible in some federal states, and it will soon be possible to order online throughout the country and pick it up on site.
Online shopping:
Corona has
noticeably advanced
digitization
, whether in the world of work or in consumption.
More and more companies are also offering their range online - and express deliveries after ordering.
Sales on the Internet were booming as early as 2020, and this development will probably be driven forward in 2021.
Suppliers like
Picnic
or
Rewe have
already announced that they will continue to expand within Germany.
Amazon
, one of the biggest winners in the Corona crisis, is pushing the “Amazon Fresh” project forward.
Frozen food giant
Dr.
Oetker
will reportedly be delivering its products directly to your home in the foreseeable future.
Changes in shopping: 2021 will bring less plastic and innovations in the meat industry
Ban on single-use plastic:
From
July 2021
, it
will be
an administrative offense across the EU
to sell
certain
items made from single-use plastic
- namely cutlery and plates, drinking straws, cotton swabs, balloon holders, stirrers for hot drinks and styrofoam containers for take-away food.
Many chains such as dm, Edeka, Rossmann and Co. are already gradually working to ban superfluous plastic from the shelves.
Meat industry:
Work contracts in German slaughterhouses are prohibited from January 1st.
So far, these have mainly been agreed with Eastern European employees.
There should also be no longer any temporary work for slaughtering and cutting.
The new law is primarily intended to reduce or prevent exploitation and risky working conditions in German slaughterhouses.
Optimally, this also has an effect on the quality of the
production of meat products
.
Changes in 2021: Electronic devices get a new energy efficiency label
Real markets:
The big grocer
Real
is in a state of upheaval.
Competitor Kaufland, which, like Lidl, belongs to the Schwarz Group, announced in June 2020 that it would take over 101 stores of the ailing chain and the online marketplace real.de.
The Bundeskartellamt raised competition concerns, but has since given the go-ahead for the acquisition of up to 92 locations.
It is not yet clear whether the grocer will actually open new branches at the previous Real locations.
In the course of the year, however, it should be communicated how many markets will continue under the
name Real
.
Energy label:
New
EU energy efficiency
labels will apply to some electrical appliances from March 2021
.
Classifications such as “A ++” or “A +++” are being replaced by classifications from A to G that are more easily distinguishable, for example in dishwashers, washing machines, televisions or monitors.
(PF with material from dpa) * Merkur.de is an offer from the Ippen Digital Network
List of rubric lists: © Imago / Moritz Wolf