No one knows yet how long the retail branches in Germany will remain closed. The optician chain Fielmann is concerned about how a higher number of customers and stricter hygiene rules can be implemented in an emergency operation.
Hamburg (dpa) - The optician chain Fielmann expects not to be able to return to normal immediately after the acute phase of the corona epidemic. If the branches are to be opened again in a kind of emergency operation, Fielmann wants to be prepared.
The company had commissioned an expert from the hygiene scientist Prof. Martin Exner from the University of Bonn on how future effective prevention against infections can be ensured in retail, said CEO Marc Fielmann of the German Press Agency.
Exner looked at the advice and processes in Fielmann branches for the report. He would analyze the hygienic and infection risks as well as possible precautionary measures in the branch. The results of the report are to be published in the week beginning on Monday and will therefore also be available to other retailers.
Fielmann is looking ahead economically. "In the short term, a reliable forecast is difficult; it depends on political decisions and the behavior of everyone," he said. "In the long term, we expect considerable demand for glasses when the branches reopen. The following applies to glasses: Postponing is not a thing of the past." Fielmann sells more than 30,000 glasses in Germany on normal working days.
However, the approximately 770 branches of the largest German optician chain in Germany and abroad have largely been closed since March 20. An emergency service will still be maintained for critical occupations and emergencies. Short-time working is requested for most of the more than 20,000 employees. Fielmann has pledged to increase the short-time work allowance for those affected to 100 percent.
The company started manufacturing medical protective glasses in Rathenow, Brandenburg. "We can produce 50,000 pieces in April and more in May if necessary," said Marc Fielmann, who has been at the helm of the company for several months after the complete retirement of his father Günther Fielmann. He also sees a future market for goggles with individual vision. The first 20,000 goggles would be donated to medical facilities.
Fielmann plans to pay all of its store rents in April, including utilities, provided the landlords in the city center are individuals or smaller companies. In shopping malls or shopping malls, where there are often financially strong investors such as real estate funds or insurance companies on the landlord side, Fielmann will seek the conversation in order to distribute the burden over two strong shoulders.
Fielmann AG is practically debt-free and has a high level of equity. "We could survive the situation for several months," said Fielmann. Nevertheless, with a closed branch network, the company must temporarily expect a significant decline in sales, sales and profits. Accordingly, unnecessary expenses would be cut, investments postponed and the money held together to secure liquidity. The dividend already promised for the 2019 financial year was also canceled. This particularly affects the members of the Fielmann family themselves, who hold the majority of the shares.
