Trade association: shops "bleed out when the shop doors are open" - 50,000 businesses in danger

The trade association HDE is hoping for a quick expansion of the November aid to stationary dealers.

HDE managing director Stefan Genth made this clear to Merkur.de.

• The

  partial lockdown

  makes stationary retail difficult to create.

• Many customers prefer to stay at home

  during the important

  Christmas business

  .

• Many companies fear for their

  existence

  .

Munich - The retail association

pressing for rapid financial support in view of the massive drop in sales in stationary retail.

"The retail sector urgently needs to

get

access to the

aid," HDE managing director

told Merkur.de * on Monday.

In view of the

* pandemic, "many retailers in city centers bleed out financially with open shop doors," warned Genth.

Politicians' calls to fight the corona pandemic to stay at home and reduce contacts are "noticeably successful" - with far-reaching consequences for retail: According to a recent HDE survey of 580 retailers, the number of customers was also in the city centers in the third week of November by 40 percent below the comparative value of the previous year.

Sales were almost a third below the previous year's figure.

In the clothing trade, the minus was even 40 percent.

HDE: Partial lockdown hits retailers hard

The industry suffered the losses in the Christmas season of all times and thus in the “busiest time of year”, said Genth.

Many traders are currently dependent on making up for the losses from the first lockdown.

Instead, the sales decline continues to build.

“The retailers could not get through this any longer without help.” Overall, “up to 50,000 stores” could be lost due to the corona pandemic.

Therefore, the federal government must now "act - and quickly," demanded Genth.

The

had agreed in late October with the countries on a partial lockdown November 2.

Since then, restaurants and bars have been closed.

Hotels are only allowed to accommodate business travelers.

The federal government launched an aid program to cushion the financial consequences.

According to this, the sectors affected by the closure or self-employed persons are to receive 75 percent of the turnover from November 2019 as a subsidy.

This regulation does not apply to retail because the stores are allowed to remain open during the lockdown.

According to reports, the

now to be extended until December 20 and possibly further tightened.

The state support measures for the affected industries are also apparently to be expanded accordingly.

The HDE is now urging that the aid be opened up to retailers.

HDE: Association is hoping for Sunday shopping before Christmas

At the same time, Genth spoke out in favor of easing the ban on Sunday sales before Christmas.

Opening the store on Sundays during

"would be a good measure," he said.

This could straighten out the Christmas business and would make it easier and more relaxed to adhere to the rules of distance and hygiene, said Genth.

In the past, however, numerous municipalities failed in court with plans to open Sunday shopping.