Imagine if all the lights went out in Starnberg.
No lighted shop windows, no fairy lights, nothing.
Everything dark.
This scenario of a Starnberg without retail and gastronomy was thrown into the room by Christoph Winkelkötter from the economic development agency gwt at the start of the virtual entrepreneur round table on Wednesday evening.
25 participants from the retail sector, the city administration and the city council discussed lively with each other and expressed their wishes and ideas in order to avoid business closings.
The city council officers Anke Henniger (FDP), Stefan Kandler (BMS) and Rudolf Zirngibl (CSU) had invited.
"As soon as the shops are allowed to open, the retailers have to make sales," Winkelkötter appealed to customers.
“Otherwise we won't have any more soon.” Nicola Eggendorfer-Schropp, owner of the “Small Playhouse” on Hanfelder Strasse, was one of the participating retailers.
She is convinced of the plan to save the retail sector, but sees a problem.
"We are all really bad," she said.
“We have existential fears and we all have to fight for our companies.
Nobody has the opportunity to take care of Starnberg retail in general. ”For Eggendorfer-Schropp, the solution lies in a so-called carer.
This should be paid for by the city and take care of the retail trade, pass on information quickly and collectively and get projects off the ground.
City could appoint a caretaker
This suggestion was well received by Corinna Hjorth.
She is the manager of the “Zauberhaft” clothing store on Wittelsbacherstrasse.
“With the caretaker we would make more sales again.
I don't see any chances otherwise, ”she said.
And how does the city administration see it?
City sponsor Sarah Buckel thinks the idea is realistic, because the city actually has the opportunity to use such a caretaker.
This has even been requested for the year 2022.
Victoria Lettl from Raumdekor Lettl made another point.
She would like the city to be more consistent when implementing existing ideas, such as concepts for a livelier city center.
Because these would automatically revive the retail trade after the lockdown.
“There's no point in creating new concepts while the old ones are still in the drawer,” said Lettl.
“Credit and debt clocks are ticking,” said the gwt boss
Winkelkötter and Henniger urge you to act quickly.
“Credit and debt clocks are ticking,” said the gwt boss.
"It will be a huge task to get the retail trade going again after the pandemic." The increasing online trade and the largely unwillingness to buy locally would also be to blame for this.
That is why on Wednesday those involved founded a team of six to set up a campaign under the motto “buy local”.
The goal is to get the Starnbergers back to buy in stores and to draw attention to ways to support retailers during the pandemic.
Concepts like “Click and Collect” are a good start.
An evening is also planned when all retailers turn off their lights.
The resulting dark city should shake up the Starnbergers, because that's how dark it would look if the shops had to close forever.
The regulars' table should be repeated every two to three months.
Contact by email to anke.henniger@fdp-starnberg.de
Vanessa Lange
Also read:
For retailers in the district, the “Click & Collect” pick-up service, which is now allowed in Bavaria, is a small ray of hope
.
But not anymore.
The struggle for survival continues.
